Region IV Women's team included Kathy Allen, Janet Mazzola, Ann Turner, Kelly Fischer, Tammy Simone, Sandra Odenbach, Chrissy Johnston, Lynn Thompson, Nancy Budde, and Lindy Ward
Region I Men's was captained by Mike Cochrane and included Juan Arraya, Mark Ruppert, Ray Crosta, Mark Parsons, Drew Broderick, Guy Moore, Scott Slobin, Patricio Misitrano, Chris Fitzgerald, Brian O'Connor, and Mike Stern (not pictured at left)
Teaching pro Christi Hayes had arrived in Ross, CA from Pittsburgh in 2007 and had added energy to the program by starting a junior program and league play. By 2009 Region VI was able to send a full women's team to the President's Cup.
You are excused if you don't know the answer to that question. The President's Cup has been a part of the APTA Nationals for years, and is a hotly contested event, but there are few people outside of die-hard tournament players who know what it is. It was established in 1978, when the sport was becoming professionalized, as a national competition for amateur players. It's success kept it going after money left the sport.
Each region fields a set of teams based in large part on President's Cup Qualifier points accumulated at regional tournaments. Players seeded in the top 8 nationally may not participate but otherwise each region fields the strongest players it can. Sometimes a region cannot field a complete team and players are borrowed from other regions to fill out the roster, or two regions may combine to form one team.
The President's Cup is a grueling day long round robin even[...]
As I finish up my last year as President of the APTA, I realize how lucky I was that John Horine approached me seven years ago and asked me to consider succeeding him.
These last years have flown by. Recently, one of my friends on my league team asked me if I was glad to finally be done. I quickly responded with a resounding "no." I am sad my term is over. I have loved almost every minute of it.
During my first year serving as a shadow Board member, I participated without an "official" vote in all Board activities, although John always encouraged me to voice my opinions. I'm sure he did not realize how little a concern this was!
The first year of my presidency was a year of transition. Term limits had been enacted and the entire Board was being replaced over a three to four-year period. In considering who my vice president would be, the name that came to mind immediately was Sco[...]
Marjorie Hodson reported for PTM:
The weather was beautiful, the site spectacular and the tournament committee, Indian Trail Club staff and volunteers outdid themselves in staging the 2009 Mixed Nationals and Husband-Wife Mixed Nationals.
With sunny skies and temperatures that were cool enough for the players but comfortable for the spectators, the Indian Trail Club hosted the Mixed Nationals the weekend of March 13 — 15. The club took this opportunity to show off their new McBride House, which is so much more than a paddle hut! The staff anticipated needs before the contestants even knew they had them - with such touches as a bin of ice and plastic bags for after match aches and pains — to add to a memorable weekend.
Play began on Friday with the Husband-Wife contests, with both Open and Senior divisions playing in a one-day format. In the Open draw, Jessica and Matt Guyaux[...]
David Caldwell & Blake Cordish had thoughts on the subject:
Over the last five to seven years a fresh crop of experienced tennis players has dramatically influenced the way the modern game of paddle is being played. Tennis players have helped to make paddle a faster, more aggressive game characterized by new shots, spins and strategies.
New Shots
Tennis players have brought their ground strokes to paddle and the effect has been increased pace, spins and additional offensive firepower off both sides from the baseline and the net.
On the forehand side, many tennis players utilize a semi-western grip that allows for more topspin so the ball can be struck harder and still come down in the court. This has also allowed for new offensive strategies such as using an off-pace, topspin groundstroke to dip the ball to a net person's feet so the player can then "blitz" and volley the next [...]
Mark Holtschneider opined.
At this year's National 45s/55s/65s Championship, a tape of the 1976 Men's Nationals was playing in the paddle hut. The play was dominated by lobs and soft overheads to the corners. There was an occasional flat forehand drive. There were no Mansager-like crushing forehands, no Goodspeed-like two-handed backhand drives, and no Uihlein super cut overheads. Contemporary players look much quicker and more athletic. A few players in the hut said that today's top players are definitely better than the best players of the '70s. Others agreed that athletes in all sports are better today than they were 30 years ago - track times are faster, pole vaults are higher, basketball players are taller, and football players are bigger.
I disagree. I think the late 1970s champs could compete with the best of today's players.
First, the rackets and balls in the '70s wer[...]
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