Mark the date ...March 27, 1998 ... and the place ... Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York . . . as history was made when seven men's teams age 70 and over took the courts for the first recognized APTA Senior Championship for this age group.
Henry Markey (age 80) indicated that he had been "hanging around" for 10 years waiting for the creation of this event. And it was fitting that he, with his long-time partner, Stari Sauerhaft, won the consolation (Note 1).
Note 1: This Platform Tennis News report was not accurate, as a Men’s 70+ had been held in 1982, but had lasted only a few years.
Source: Platform Tennis News, Spring 1998
In two separate presentations, the APTA Hall of Fame was increased by four honorees. The first ceremony was held at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club on February 28, at the time of the Men's Senior Nationals, and the surprised recipient was Chet Kermode.
The second induction was held on March 14 at the Exmoor Country Club in Chicago, during the Men's and Women's National Championships. The three individuals honored were Hilary Hilton Marold, Yvonne Hackenberg, and Jack Watson, all of whom were also unaware that they had been selected to be honored.
Source: Platform Tennis News, Spring 1998
Chet Kermode was a fine tennis player and had represented the US against Canada on an international tennis team, but had never seen platform tennis until well into his 40s. When he did pick it up, he was competing successfully in regional senior events within two years and won many 45+ events, inclu[...]
The 1998 Junior Nationals Championships, hosted by The Beacon Hill Club in Summit, NJ, were a huge success thanks greatly to the sponsorship of R.J. Reilly, Viking Athletics, and Wilson.
Eighty-eight juniors participated in the four different age groups to make it one of the best attended junior events in recent years.
More ball issues were discussed but the big decision was the vote on "No-Let"
"Also, after two years of trial use, the NO-LET rule on service was voted in as a permanent rule. Prior to the vote, all members were polled, and the results of the APTA survey were discussed. The Board did not act on a suggestion to address the "dribbler" factor, a major complaint against the no-let rule where a loss of point is due to a "dribbler".
In a major decision that led the way for other racquet sports, the Board of Directors voted 17-3 to make the “no let on net cord service” a permanent part of the official rules. The vote had been taken following a random poll of 10% of the membership that showed support for the change.
At the annual meeting in 1996, under the leadership of the late Charley Stevens, the Board of Directors approved, by a narrow margin, the change proposed by Rules Committee Chairman Robert A. Brown, under which serves that touched the net, but landed in the correct service box, were in play.
The 1996-97 season was a first-year trial, with a provision that the change would be reviewed again at the annual Board meeting in 1997.
At the meeting in 1997, there was a strong sentiment to make the rule permanent, but knowing that there was a group of players who were unconvinced of the wisdom of the[...]
Costs of operating the office, including increases in compensation for the Executive Director and a new stipend for the Treasurer, were reasons for the needed action. Individual and family dues were both increased to $55.00.
The length of playing time for the Men's President's Cup matches had been brought up as a concern, and a poll indicated that players from the various regions would like to have an eight game “pro set,” with no-ad scoring and a tiebreaker at eight games all.
A trial of this approach was approved for the following season.
The Rules and Equipment Committee submitted a review of the ball specifications and test results from the U.S. Testing Laboratory.
Recognizing that many questions about the liveliness of the ball were a result of unusually warm weather during the prior season, the Board approved a change in the rebound specification, increasing that number from 48.0" to 51.0".
Though most modifications were grammatical or technical in nature, the new booklet added the revised ball bounce specification and a definition and procedure for no-ad scoring, and a description of scoring in singles.
The no-let on serve procedure had already been included during the two-year trial period.
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