Jane McNitt
Residence: Winnetka, IL
Family: Husband, Peter; children: Peter Jr. (19), Johnny (17), Megan (15)
Profession: Part-time platform tennis professional
Hobbies off the courts: Swimming, biking, rollerblading and skiing
Awards/Accolades within the sport: Winner of Chicago Charities (‘05, '10, '12) Illinois State, Midwesterns, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kalamazoo, and Illinois State Mixed tournaments
Wendy Shpiz
Residence: Winnetka, IL
Family: Husband, Dave; children: Jack (4), Charlie (3), Mollie (1)
Profession: Marketing Director - Nike Tennis Camps
Hobbies off the courts: Spend as much time with my family as possible, skiing and running
Awards/Accolades: 1992 Illinois State Tennis Champion. All-American at Duke University. On the pro tennis tour for three years and made Top 250 in the world.
How long have you two been playing as a team and how did your team [...]
With Hurricane Sandy leaving one of platform tennis' strongholds reeling, the devastation along the East Coast was more than evident this year at the Women's 2012 Chicago Charities tournament. Many of the nationally-ranked teams that usually come out of the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia region were eerily absent this year, virtually allowing Chicago women full reign of the tournament.
This year's Charities benefitted Family Matters, a group located in Chicago's North of Howard neighborhood that offers children and families individualized personal development experiences that provide opportunities to find their place in the world and to be a force for positive change.
The 48-team women's event kicked off on Friday, November 2 at 8 a.m., with overcast skies and mid-50s temperatures that were sustained throughout the weekend.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31584475@N05/81538479[...]
Jim Dey lets it fly
Jim Dey should be called Jim Diehard. The man has been playing paddle since he was 10 years old, for 60 years. He grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, with platform tennis courts right around the corner. His only time away from the game was during a work stint in the state of Washington, where courts were non-existent. He moved back to the East Coast in his early 20s, and immediately got back into the game. In all those decades, he has basically had two steady partners: Bob Smith in the early years, and John Spears, who he has played with off and on for over 30 years.
"Paddle has gotten me through a lot of winters," Dey laughed. "I don't need to get away?' If you have ever had the pleasure of staying at the Shelter Harbor Inn, you would understand that concept even more so. Dey bought the cozy retreat 36 years ago. Replete with outstanding food, a rooftop hot tub[...]
Cincinnati's hut commander extraordinaire enjoys all the action
Cincinnati's hut commander extraordinaire enjoys all the action Jerry Wahl of Cincinnati has found the recipe for a good life. She stays active, playing many sports, including 30 years of platform tennis. She loves the career she established as an event coordinator. She now meshes work and play by volunteering at sporting events, where she often is asked to take on a leadership position. As someone once said, "To work at the things you love, or for those you love, is to turn work into play, and duty into privilege:' So, while Wahl works at a sports event, she really is also playing, and she feels privileged to be able to do so. "Because this is my profession, it is not a burden to do this stuff," Wahl explains.
Wahl has been working at the Midwesterns, a three-day tournament with over 150 teams, for so many years, she [...]
New Jersey Hosts the Best and Brightest in the Game
On the shores of Franklin Lake, New Jersey, players from all over the nation converged on the Indian Trail Club (and 17 other area clubs) in early March for the APTA Men's and Women's National Championships. They were met with cheerful faces and crisp lake breezes. APTA Men's and Women's
Day One: President's Cup
Despite the best laid plans of organizers and Tournament Director Michael Gillespie, a driving wintery mix of snow, sleet and rain welcomed the participants to the Men's and Women's President's Cup on Thursday morning, March 7th.
Coming off a two-year winning streak, the Region V (Chicago/Midwest) ladies had high expectations going into the President's Cup. 2013, however, was not to be their year in the six-region match-up. In round-robin play, Region I dominated Pool A and Region III in Pool B. In a four-te[...]
Among an audience of long-time friends, family members, and the best platform tennis players in the world, David Ohlmuller was lauded for his talent and his resilience. The night was filled with laughs and some deep emotions, as Ohlmuller's story captivated the crowd.
Tim McAvoy, last year's inductee and a member of the Hall of Fame Committee, introduced Ohlmuller.
The transcript of McAvoy's induction speech is printed below in its entirety.
Tonight we honor a man who dominated the sport of platform tennis and then came back from a near death accident to reach the pinnacle of our sport for a second time.
Born in 1969, our inductee was introduced to the game by his mother, Ginna, who in addition to playing platform tennis was the Executive Director for the American Platform Tennis Association. In fact, in his early teenage days our inductee was bribed by his mother to play—h[...]
Camille Thoman didn't go to Dorset, Vermont expecting to make a movie about platform tennis, but when she and her mother stepped into the paddle hut at the Dorset Field Club, she found a group of senior players that she found irresistible.
"We walked in, and there were these old men there making fun of each other, bantering and sharing laughs around the sport," Thoman said. "My mother said, 'You should make your next film about these guys,' and to be honest, I was charmed to my tippy toes by them."
Thoman, an acclaimed director, who has worked with talent such as Tony nominee Mireille Enos, Oscar nominee Melissa Leo and Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, as well as produced her own one-woman theater pieces, flew with producer Elizabeth Yng-Wong to Vermont thinking they would be filming a short. They quickly found that they had something bigger on their hands.
"These are special people[...]
Hellos and Goodbyes The board welcomed four new members and said farewell to three whose terms expired. The APTA membership elected in David Lee, Region II, Shannon Vinson, Region V, Nathan LeFevre, Region VI, and Freddy Goldenberg, Region VII. Juan Martinez-Arraya, Tina Kelly, and Peter Lauer will be missed. Arraya brought great energy and dedication to the Clinics and Exhibitions Committee. Kelly's savvy marketing, writing and editing skills were invaluable for all APTA communications. And Lauer, head farmer for six years of the Grow the Game initiative, boosted a good program into a great program.
Financials Alia Main reported that the APTA is in excellent financial health at this time. Revenues continued to increase.[Note: The 2013 990 Form Filing shows that the net assets of the APTA were in excess of $500k, an all-time high]
Sponsorship/Branding Viking has deepened its commit[...]
Sara Lanthier
Residence: Toronto, Ontario
Occupation: Contributing writer at UrbanMoms.ca and social media specialist at Corns Entertainment
Years of Service on the APTA Board: Two
Family: Son Will (5), APTA National Champ 2033
Years Playing: I started when I was 10. So *cough, cough* 18? Okay, 34 years!
How did you get started playing platform tennis? Our family moved to London, Ontario, where they had one in-ground court. We started playing and taking train trips to Toronto to play the "big city" kids in tournaments. A few years later we moved to Toronto and chose to live where we did because of the ties we had already made with the platform tennis players there.
Contribution to the APTA Board/Contribution to the platform
tennis community. My unofficial goal with the APTA is to get the name changed to NAPTA (North American Platform Tennis Association). Canada need[...]
The APTA's "Grow the Game" program, now in its seventh year, has offered assistance to thirty facilities so far. This year over forty inquiries were sent in, and eight formal proposals were received. Each proposal is measured on seven criteria and then scaled. The proposals are carefully considered by the Growth Committee and then are approved by the APTA Board. For the 2013-2014 season, the APTA has allocated over $150,000 in grants and loans to eleven facilities…..[Click on image to read more]
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 15, Issue 1 Sept./Oct. 2013
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