APTA reviews options for court surfaces and approves Reilly’s aluminum deck

In addition to Reilly's aluminum deck other innovators had been suggesting alternative materials such as plywood, steel, asphalt and Laykold. Courts had to pass a two season test before the APTA would provide approval. The plywood surface was developed by "Mr. Paddle", the Hall of Fame Inductee Dick Squires' company Squires Marketing Associates Company (SMAC). The Minutes note that the APTA expected SMAC to seek approval soon but there had been some issues reported; ultimately the plywood deck proved unworkable. The surface had been used at the VAT Gold Cup earlier in the year.

OOPS – wrong National Championship medals ordered

The APTA had started the National Championships medal program in 1991. The 1992 medals included those for the winners and finalists of the Women's Senior 60+ Championship, an event that was inaugurated in 1999!

APTA hosts press party

The January/February edition of Off The Wire covered the event held at the Town Tennis Club in New York City. “Thirty-two card carrying reporters were invited to come and see how our game is supposed to be played. The better to understand that Platform Tennis is not ping-pong, is not paddleball, is not deck tennis. Allowing for no-shows, crashers, ancillary invitees, etc., a good time was had by 73 people. Bob Brown introduced the matches, the players, and the celebs, and set the stage for our audience.” Celebrities included Sid Wood, Chuck McKinley and Stan Smith. Source: Off The Wire, Vol. 5 No. 2

APTA renames Newsletter Off The Wire

December saw the publication of the first edition of Off The Wire. President Robert Brown’s letter read, in part: “As you can see, with this issue of the Newsletter there are a number of changes -- new title, new format, and, since the Annual Meeting, some new people on the APTA Board. The Board has been expanded to 13 Directors, and we are pleased to have wide geographic representation. Four of the Directors are from regions other than the New York Metropolitan area -- and we have a good balance of experienced and ‘new blood’. The Newsletter is our main communications medium with the membership. We're trying, under the guidance of our new editor Bill Ballard, to make it informative and interesting and to keep you posted on what's going on in the world of platform tennis.” Ballard wanted Off The Wire to be more than just a compilation of draw sheets, minutes and offi[...]

Governor of New Jersey plays hooky to play paddle

Brendan Byrne had a calendar conflict, a speech to the New Jersey Education Association at their annual conference and a date to play in the National Senior Men’s 50+ at Englewood, NJ. He chose to play paddle, lost his first round match and advanced as far as the semis in the consolation. A newspaper covering the event characterized his game as “a conservative style bent on returning the ball.” Source: Off The Wire, Vol. 5, No. 3

Last year Nationals played with orange ball

National Championships – Inaugural Junior Girls (under 20)

Men's Doubles returned to FMTC and, with 127 teams entered, it was like old times. Half the defending championship team of Kingsbury-Mangan belonged to Fox Meadow, and half the team that won, John Beck and Herb Fitz Gibbon, grew up there. Big John Beck played for the Bedford Golf Club, but around Fox Meadow, he was still Madge and Ted Beck's boy, a local kid who made good. The five-set final lasted more than two and a half hours before Beck and Fitz Gibbon overwhelmed Keith Jennings and Chauncey Steele. It was not a complete Fox Meadow victory, but it felt terrific regardless. In the Senior events, Charles Baird and Ed Swanberg completed their hat-trick in the 50+ and Baird teamed with Roger Lankenau to win the 45+. In the 60+, Walter Frese and Ken LaVine won their second title. See APTA Newsletters listed as sources for drawsheets Source:

APTA takes position on use of tiebreak

The APTA newsletter, Off The Wire, reported on the APTA’s position on the tiebreak. “The tiebreak is being used more and more in platform tennis tournaments. The APTA takes the following position on use of the tiebreak: (1) For National Championships – The APTA will decide prior to each tournament whether the tiebreak will be used and, if so, for how many rounds. (2) For all other Sanctioned Tournaments - The decision on whether to use the tiebreak or not is up to the tournament committee. Where the tiebreak is used, the APTA recommended the nine-point tiebreak.” Source: Off The Wire, Vol. 5 No. 2

APTA approves nine-point tiebreak

The tiebreak was to be played at 6-all. The APTA newsletter, Off The Wire, carried the details: “1. The nine-point tiebreak is played when games reach 6-all. 2. The player whose turn it is to serve the next regular game is the first server. This is always the same player who started serving the set. 3. The team that wins 5 points is the winner of the set. The set is scored 7-6. 4. Each player must serve from the same end of the court in the tiebreak that he or she has served from during the set. (Note that this alters the sequence of serving by the partners on the second serving team.) For illustration, with the serving team designated as Players A and B, and their opponents as C and D, the service order is as follows: Points 1 & 2 are served by player A. Player A is always the player who started serving the set. TEAMS DO NOT CHANGE COURTS Points 3 & 4[...]

APTA moves to hire an Executive Director

The thriving growth of the game resulted in a rapidly rising management load for APTA officers. The scope of activity and responsibility of some of the key functions, such as Tournaments, Treasurers, Secretarial, Equipment, Public Relations and the President, had increased to the point, in some cases, of exceeding the limits of "volunteer" or “spare time” effort. President Robert A Brown summarized the decision in the Mid-Summer issue of Off The Wire: “The Board has therefore decided that the APTA will hire an Executive Director. Provision will be made in the 1974-75 operating budget for a salary for the Executive Director and secretarial and other expenses in connection with the job. In our budgetary planning, a number of income-generating steps are being considered, including the tournament sponsorship item discussed below. The duties and responsibilities of the Executive[...]