Scott Bondurant
Age: 49
Residence: Chicago, Ill.
Family: Wife: Susan; Daughters: Brooke, 13; Cara, 11
Occupation: Asset Management
Hobbies: Tennis, Golf, Travel
Do you have an awareness of the fact that you're playing guys that could be 30 years your junior?
I'd be lying to say that it isn't fun to be able to compete with players that are a lot younger. It's still fun to be out there playing in the open division. The other thing is platform is very conducive to continuing to be able to play, to compete at older ages simply because it's a smaller court and it's all doubles. If you can find a partner that can cover a large part of the court, you can hang in there.
Do you prepare differently mentally than you have in the past?
Not really. I would just say that I probably don't get as nervous about matches as I used to. I just go out there and take them as they come.
Has y[...]
The APTA Service Award was created in 2009 to honor the spirit of volunteerism that has been so important to the health of our sport. Candidates for the Award will exemplify volunteer service according to three criteria:
1. Volunteerism without any expectation of a personal gain pure giving versus doing something that might advance their business or standing in the community.
2. Efforts that are transformative efforts that create new potential or bring substantive change to the sport on a National or Regional basis.
3. Efforts that have a sustained impact on our sport over a period of years.
Source: Paul Wiggan, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 11, Issue 4, March, 2010
2009 APTA Service Award goes to past President, Mark Fischl
Back to TopMark Fisch and APTA Executive Director Ann Sheedy
As he completed his term, the APTA board surprised Mark by recognizing his devotion to the sport and numerous achievements as its leader by making Mark the first recipient of a new APTA Service Award.
Mark Fischl served as President of the APTA from 2004 through 2009, a period of rapid growth for our sport. Though Mark hails from a region steeped in the sport's traditions, his emphasis on gender balance and geographic diversity has meant nationwide impact.
Mark devoted countless hours to the APTA. He continues to be involved in many ways even after his term ended. He is active in the Players' Committee, with participation in exhibitions, and he led the effort to rescue the platform tennis program in Huntington, New York. His genuine enthusiasm continues to be highly contagious.
When asked about his tenure, Mark shared that he takes great pride in the effectiveness of fellow boar[...]
Tim McAvoy, a Phoenixville, PA, native, graduated from Penn State in 1980, worked 18 years with GlaxoSmithKline and the past 10 years with Marvin and Palmer Associates—an institutional money management firm.
Tim was introduced to platform tennis by his mother, 1992 Hall of Fame inductee Lucie Bel, and has been playing competitively since 1982. Tim has been a member of the Region III men's President's Cup team over the past 25 years and is a former Men's 45 and Mixed Doubles National Champion, with John Adams and Diane Tucker, respectively.
Tim served on the APTA Board from 1999- 2006, was a founding member of the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation and currently serves on the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Tim also serves on the Philadelphia MAPTA Board.
Tim and his wife Nancy, have four children: Tom (20), Jen (18), Lindsay (16) and Wil (14) [...]
Hall of Fame inductee, Paul G. Sullivan, died on February 4, 2009 in Vero Beach, Florida, at the age of 82.
He was born in Brooklyn, lived most of his life in Scarsdale, New York, and in recent years, Vero Beach. He attended Princeton University, and served in the Navy as a radioman in Annapolis. His work career spanned over 50 years, first with Hayden Stone and then with Smith Barney.
Paul served for many years on the Board of the American Platform Tennis Association, and was APTA President from 1963-1965. He was also President of the Fox Meadow Tennis Club from 1967-1969.
During the 50's and 60's, he was a major contributor to the activities of the APTA serving, among other things, as Chairman of many National Championships and as Chairman of the APTA Umpires Committee. He was also a USTA umpire, and served in that capacity at the U.S. Open and at Wimbledon.
He was instru[...]
Jonathan Lubow
Hometown: Randolph, NJ
Spouse and Kids: Wife: Jessica. Daughters: Caroline (8), Katie (5)
Hobbies: Gardening, Golf, Skiing
Personal Note: Wrote Options on Futures: New Trading Strategies
Paddle used: The National
Favorite shot: The "Dagger"
Sports experience: Played tennis in high school
Team accomplishments: 2006 and 2009 NJ State champs, 2008 Chicago Charities champions
Platform tennis partner history: "I used to play with Chip Dyer. He moved to Colorado four years ago and I hooked up with Steve."
How do you train for the season: "I do not train. I try to play all year round. Night paddle in summer is great."
Nutritional regimen, vitamins, stretching, etc.: "I drink Gatorade and I never stretch."
When did you start playing platform tennis? "After College. Charlie Stevens (Paddle Legend) got me into the game."
What do you like most about platform [...]
Women's 40+ and 60+ National Championships
The weather was spring-like and the ladies showed there was still a lot of spring in their step as they competed for the Women's 40+ and 60+ National titles.
Helen Garrett and Sandy Simmers once again claimed the Women's 60+ National title despite strong competition from some new teams. This was their 5th gold in a row and their 6th as a team. In a rematch of last year's final, they defeated Louise Cash and Mary Fenton by the score of 6-2, 6-7, 6-4. Other winners were: Winnie Hatch and Courtia Worth, 3rd place; Ginny Sniatkowski and Ruth Weil, 5th place and Sharon Hummers and Hope Kerr, Last Chance winners.
An exceptionally strong field in the Women's 40+ event led to some exciting matches. Continuing their title run, Cynthia Dardis and Amy Shay defeated Bobo Delaney and Tonia Mangan to win their first National title. Liz Jaffe and Sue T[...]
Deception can be an effective weapon in any paddle player's arsenal. Throwing up an offensive lob when your opponents are on top of the net or hitting a drop shot off a hard drive will keep them off balance and lead to a lot of free points. Here you will learn how and when to attempt a Dagger, an extremely low percentage shot that, if executed successfully, could win the point outright and get some laughs in the process.
The Dagger is a shot off the end of the paddle that should only be tried under certain circumstances.
The Set-up
A good spin overhead from an offensive position backs one of your opponents deep into his corner and puts him on the defensive. All he can do now is hope to dig the ball out and keep the point going. A weak floater towards the middle of the court is the perfect setup for a Dagger attempt.
The Reaction
The other team sees that they have hit a weak sh[...]
In a celebration held at the Women's 40/60 National Championships on February 11, 2009, Winnie Hatch and Sharon Hummers were inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, in recognition of their outstanding achievements both on and off the court over many years.
The induction presentations were delivered by Steve Baird for Edwina "Winnie" Worth Hatch and by Bob Brown for Sharon K. Hummers, before a large, enthusiastic, and appreciative audience at the Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey. Each honoree acknowledged the election with thanks, and other comments of adoration followed by several relatives and friends.
The induction of Mansager and Goodspeed, the 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees, took place on January 17, 2009 at the Cincinnati Midwesterns. Todd Ward explained why:
The Cincinnati Midwesterns played out the way most Midwesterns have gone for the last several y[...]
PTM reported from Cincinnati:
Mary Doten and Susie Keane Reach High to Capture Third National Title
In some ways, the Nationals is like any other tournament. There are draws, favors, reunions with friends, good lunches and the highs and lows of personal performance. But the Nationals is also something very different. There are temporary courts and a camera tower. Every hut has monitors and extra balls. There's a merchandise tent, lots of sponsor banners and multiple parties. A masseuse works tired muscles. The finals play to big crowds. And at the Nationals the "thrill of victory" and the "agony of defeat" are just that much more intense.
The bulk of the women's tournament was played Friday. Play started at 8 a.m. and ran reasonably on time, with the last quarters finishing up just before 6 p.m. The weather was warm and windy like Thursday, with overcast skies.
All the [...]
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