SCTAJUNE 2005newsSouthern California Tennis Association

www.scta.usta.com

Dee Henry

Member Organization Of The Year Long Ellis Award

President’s Award

Martel Campbell

James Miringoff Family

Jessica Nguyen

A t the Southern California TennisAssociation’s 118th Annual Meetingthe following were recognized:

Amateur Athletic Foundation – President’s Award

Dee Henry – Lifetime Achievement

James Miringoff Family – Family Of The Year

Martel Campbell and Jessica Nguyen – Evelyn Houseman Junior Sportsmanship Award

Claremont Tennis Club – Member Organization Of The Year

University of California Irvine – Long Ellis Award

Sherrie Nixon, Don Bly, Chaka Simba,Art Jones, Pete Brown, Rudy Enriquez,Maurica Katz and Steve Katz – AAF/NJTL 20 Year Service Award

David Dike, Dave Hagler and Albert Leduc –AAF/NJTL Service Award

Jim Buck – High Performance Service Award

Nancy Abrams – USA Team Tennis Service Award

Frank Simmons Doubles Shoot-OutTournament Committee – Multicultural Service Award

Rick Hartman (Westwood Sporting Goods) –SCTA Service Award

K-Swiss – SCTA Service Award

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In March, at La QuintaResort & Club, newly elect-

ed President Frank Johnsongaveled his first USTA AnnualMeeting to order. Nine hun-dred delegates from across thenation were present. Johnsonoutlined initiatives to be pursued during histerm of office. (In the story following this, Johnson recognized several SouthernCalifornians for their achievements.)

Tennis in the Parks (TiPs) is of majorinterest, since 70% of tennis played occurson public courts. The USTA is seriousabout building relationships with city agen-cies; so serious that a new system ofnational grants that will put teaching pro-fessionals in public parks, as well as helpwith upgrading and refurbishing existingcourts is being developed.

While many of the world’s top playershave Spanish surnames, few have come fromwithin the USTA system. Johnson, whounderstands the importance of bringingabout change, named an Hispanic Task Force(Southern Californians, Angel Lopez andNana Talevi are members.); instituted a USTAEspanol.com link with the USTA website; andplans to have more USTA materials printed inSpanish.

Drawing on practices that he used duringhis successful accounting career, where staffreviewed one another’s work and techniques,Johnson asked the section presidents andexecutive directors to become more intro-spective about their operations and services.Tweaking the formulae, he expects sectionleadership teams to visit each other andshare ideas that work. The practice shouldlead to the development of better businessprocedure models.

In closing, I would like to praise the teamwho won the Annual Meeting SectionalChampionship. Craftily captained by Dr. Fredand Mrs. Sally Ho, Southern California wonits first title in the twenty year competition.Of course, it would be hard to lose with thefollowing lineup, former NCAA winner BillScanlon; PTR Pro of the Year Angel Lopez;one time Wimbledon doubles semifinalist,Betty Ann Dent Grout; Riviera CountryClub director of tennis, Pam Austin, as wellas three time USTA Husband and Wife ClayCourt winners, Paul and Kathy Settles; andformer National Father and Daughter cham-pion Jerilyn Joseph.

Henry A. TalbertSouthern California Tennis AssociationExecutive Director

David Dike Jim Buck

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AAF/NJTL 20 Year Service Award

Multicultural Service Award (Delores Simmons, holding plaque, with Shoot-Out Tournament Committee)

Nancy AbramsDave Hagler

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AnnualAcknowledgements

Mark Winters

San Diego native, Frank Johnson used the USTA AnnualMeeting to showcase the section and a number of thepeople who make a difference locally and nationally.

Included in this group were Allen Fox, William J. Kellogg andRobert Lansdorp.

Fox, an SCTA Board member whose book “The Winner’sMind” was recently released, received the International Tennis

Hall of Fame’s Tennis EducationalMerit Award that is presentedannually to individuals who havemade “notable contributions in thetennis education field at the nation-al level.” (Ann Valentine was thewomen’s award winner).

Also an SCTA Board member,Kellogg’s yeoman effort last year asthe chairman of the SeniorInternational Competition Com-mittee was acknowledged with theUSTA Senior Service Award “givento a person deemed most deserv-ing of the respect and honor of allseniors.”

Lansdorp, the fabled coach,earned the President’s Award. SaidJohnson, “I selected Robert forthis honor based on his extraordi-nary legacy and all that he contin-ues to do to enhance our greatgame and help develop players ofexceptional talent.”

AttentionTournament

PlayersA n n e t t e B u c k

The Southern California TennisAssociation has made changes tothe USTA TennisLink system. All

tournament information can now be found atscta.usta.com. Click on “Tournaments” anduse the tournament ID numbers listed in theDirectory, or search by month. All seeding

lists are now on the same site. On the homepage, click on“Rankings” and it will connect to the TennisLink system.

Important Information:

1. It is imperative to always use your USTA number whenentering tournaments. All results are calculated using thisnumber rather than your name. If you neglect to include thenumber, and the tournament director is unable to find it, youmay not get credit for playing the event.

2. Southern California will use an updated version of theSTAR ranking system to calculate seeding lists and final rank-ings. The new version, called WINSTAR, is based on thesame principles that have always been used. The most impor-tant factor is the quality of wins and losses during a twelvemonth period; not rounds reached nor tournaments won.

3. The lists that are currently posted may not have allresults. They are as accurate as possible, but in the pastthere were missing USTA numbers. If you or your opponentdidn't have a number in the system, that result will notappear on your record. An effort to rectify errors will bemade, but only if requested in writing to the SCTA, listingyour name, the division, tournament name and date, andresults as you believe they should be. Please do not call theoffice. Without a written request, no change can be made.Currently a transition process is taking place. Things willimprove as the year progresses.

A special “thank you” is expressed to Doug and JulieWrege and their family for handling tournament draws, alongwith ranking and seeding lists, at www.tennisinformation.comover the years; most particularly during 2004. They did anoutstanding job for tennis, and provided a great service forthe players and administrators.

Frank Johnson and William J. Kellogg

Allen Fox

Robert Lansdorp

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It was March, and like alion, Davis Cup cameto Carson, California

for three days – March4th through the 6th.Home Depot Center,(the facility that Anchutz

Entertainment Group built, much like afield of dreams in the sprawling innercity), was all dressed in its “companybest”, with an added air of Europeansophistication.

The flags waved as the wind blew overthe stadium helping to make the atmos-phere festive as well as competitive. Allmanner of fans cheered, waving flags andbanging Cheer Stix. The Net-Heads weregathered en masse, encouraging theobject of their admiration – any teammember from the US. The checked-shirtCroatians chanted for the focus of theiradmiration – any Croatian competitor.The rivalry was exciting and electric.

The Honorable Robert Kelleher, a pastUSTA president and winning Davis Cupcaptain, attending two of the three daysof playing. He celebrated his 92nd birthdayMarch 5th, during the tie. Davis Cub stal-wart Jack Kramer was also on hand.

When Roddick took to the courtthere was an energized echo that movedfrom one side to the other of the stadi-um; “Andy” from the west – “Roddick”from the east. “Andy” again from thewest; “Roddick” from the east. CheerStix, (air filled bats that when slammedtogether produce an ear piercing stacca-to noise), were the punctuation tocheers from both groups of attendees.Everyone knew they were somewherespecial.

The Croatian community, which isnearly 34,000 strong in San Pedro alone,turned out, clad in red and white, carryingwith them a common goal – Victory.Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic wereCroatia’s seemingly slim prospects whocame to defeat the United States team.

Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Mikeand Bob Bryan are far better known andcollectively, have many more wins than theCroats. The tie seemed like a “gimme” tothe US fans, but on Friday, Ljubicic did theunthinkable. He beat the revered Agassi.

Friday’s atmosphere had turnedsomber, but young Roddick, after losingthe first set came away with the match totie it up. Saturday, the Bryans were sup-posed to grab the go-ahead point withtheir doubles; but the Croats had otherideas. They lost the first set, but remem-bering that slow and steady wins therace, came back and won the next threesets, giving Croatia a lead that was neverrelinquished.

William (a.k.a. Bill) J. Kellogg, Chair-man of the USTA Davis Cup Committee,made certain the venue was shipshape forthe tie that took place near the home-town of Franklin Johnson, the new USTApresident. He must have been proud,because it came off without a hitch. TheSCTA sponsored events prior to the tie,

C h e r y l J o n e s

where more than five hundred young peo-ple participated in Kid’s Day on Wednesday.Saturday, was High Performance day whensixty of the section’s top juniors were giventhe opportunity to attend the festivities.The Hispanic Task Force effort which washeaded by Ronita Elder and Nana Talevimade it possible for a bus load of kids, alongwith community vendors and small businessproprietors, to spend a day at the matches.

Davis Cup attendance was record set-ting, with 18,760 turning out for the event,which many diehard tennis fans touted asthe best matches they had ever attended.The USTA, the SCTA, and all who workedtirelessly to orchestrate the event, deservea heartfelt thanks from everyone fortunateenough to have been in attendance. It wasa job well done.

Speaking about the loss, SouthernCalifornia Davis Cup team member, TaylorDent said it well, “in sports, you have tohave a short memory. It’s water under thebridge. We’re just getting ready for thenext tie.”

The fans were painted for action.Photo: Susan Mullane

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The Davis Cup–through the eyes of a

high school tennis player –

TThe Davis Cup is one of the only tennis

events where fans can really interact.

TThe Davis Cup is a great place for ten-

nis fans and families to cheer on their

favorite country.

II advise everyone to go to the Davis Cup

when it is in their city. It is a once in a

lifetime experience, that I know I will

never forget.

–Victoria Ybarra

Louisville High School

Mark Winters - Executive Editor

Henry Talbert - Executive Director

Darren Potkey - Manager of High Performance Tennis

Annette Buck - Director of Adult & Senior Tennis

Kerry Blum, Becky Edles-Rye, Cheryl Jones,Julie Oshiro Kenton, Ali Ordoñez,Gina Pelazini, Lesley Waite and Victoria Ybarra

UCLASouthern California Tennis AssociationLos Angeles Tennis Center - UCLA420 Charles E. Young Drive WestLos Angeles, CA 90024-9115(310) 208-3838

S T A F F

C O N T R I B U T O R S

The Hispanic Task Force brought the kids out.

The tie was arty.

The Cheer Stix were heard.Photo: Susan Mullane

Photo: Susan Mullane

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6

Even the most fanciful ofdreamers wouldn’t considerthe corner of 51st and Vermont,

in South Central Los Angeles, aprime spot for a tennis facility. Yet,across the street from the Ila FamilyMarket, (with an eye-catching MartinLuther King mural on the side of itsbuilding), is an architecturally arrest-ing four court tennis complex at theChallengers Boys & Girls Club.

The courts exist because of twoindividuals’ commitment to makinga difference. Lou Dantzler, theyoungest of, as he said, “a small fam-ily of 22 children”, began workingwith kids from the back of his pick-up truck in 1968 at Centinella Park.“My father died when I was 7,”Dantzler said. “I knew what it was likenot to have a male adult around. I startedwith 12 kids, most of whom came from sin-gle parent families. I wanted to provide anexample for them.”

Dantzler’s book has many chapters. “Iwas a custodian at a Los Angeles Districtschool, sold Amway, as well as cut hair andlawns to support my family,” he said withpride. “I’ve always believed that if you wantto accomplish something, you have towork hard.”

In time, he found the 51st location. “AVon’s Market was there,” Dantzler said.“They sold it to me for a dollar.” As hepointed out “the area wasn’t safe, especiallyfor kids by themselves.” Now, it is.

A canny fundraiser, who is knownthroughout the city and around the country(the first George Bush appointed him to theNational Committee of American UrbanFamilies) for his work, the Club now ownsone side of a city block. According toDantzler, “the Amateur Athletic Foundation/National Junior Tennis League got us startedin tennis.”

Classes were held in the parking lotbehind the main building until Win Rhodeshad a dream. “I used one of the rooms Louhad in the building to run the ‘I Have ADream’ program which helps inner city

dropouts get back on track toward earninga college education,” she said. Rhodesadded, “I have played tennis all my life. Oneday it occurred to me thatthere were few courts inthe inner city.”

After Dantzler respond-ed, “we have no space” to herquery as to why the Club didn’t have tennis courts,Rhodes, realizing “that it’shard to play tennis onasphalt”, wheeled into action.

Three years ago, thanks to herefforts, land was purchased andthe courts, which are named foreach of the Grand Slam tourna-ments, became a reality.

“It’s great for the kids and par-ents because tennis used to bethought of as an elite sport,”Dantzler said. “You should seehow the kids first come to thecourts. After a while, they act likethey’re pros.”

To participate in the full rangeof programs, the Club counts2,000 youngsters on its rolls.(At one time there were 4,500participants at 7 sites locally.)Parents have to pay a minimalfee and agree to “volunteer onehour a week.”

Entering the grounds, there are monitorsat the gates. Everyone is greeted with a “hi,how are you?” More telling, at a facility thathas a learning center, science lab and radiostation, there is no graffiti. The McDonald’sTraining Center gives youngsters an oppor-tunity to learn about the fast food business.And as a reminder to brush after meals,Crest offers free dental care.

“Consistency – you start on time andstop on time” is the core of Dantzler’s creed.

He continued, “we have rules. You can’twear earrings, have long hair or wearsaggy pants. If there are loops, you have tohave a belt.”

He added, “we are not just a club, we area community.”

Looking to the future, Rhodes said, “Iwould like to see these kids have anopportunity to be as good as those on

the other side of the free-way.”

Dantzler concluded,“these are kids who havenever played tennis before.I would like to see themhave a ranking. More impor-tantly, I would like to makesure tennis is with them alltheir life.”

Mark Winters

Win Rhodes and Lou Dantzler

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W ith Andy Roddick,Lleyton Hewitt andJoachim Johansson,

along with 2004 championTommy Haas and finalistNicolas Kiefer, amongthose commit ted, theMercedes-Benz Cup, July 22-31 at the Los Angeles TennisCenter – UCLA, has one of itsmost impressive entry lists insome time. This is certainlytrue when the names of lastyear’s doubles championsBob and Mike Bryan, in addi-

tion to an outstanding Americancontingent including JamesBlake, Taylor Dent, Mardy Fish,Robby Ginepri and VinceSpadea, are added.

As good as the tennispromises to be, the 79 th

tournament is even morefan friendly because of the fol-lowing activities.

To get in on the action, call Dona Garcia-Egger at (310) 824-1010Ext. 253 for information about these events or visit www.mercedes-benzcup.com

7

• All-American Shoot Out – July 22nd

• Qualifying – July 23rd

• Wilson Family Tennis Clinic/Qualifying – July 24th

• Gibson/Baldwin Night At The Net – July 25th

• Kids Day – July 26th

• Senior Day – July 28th

• Ladies Day/USTA Member Appreciation Day – July 29th

Lleyton Hewitt

Vince Spadea

Mercedes-Benz Cup

Has Something For You

D a r r e n P o t k e y

Junior ranking information is no longerposted on www.tennisinformation.com

To access seeding lists and up-to-datetournament results, visit www.scta.usta.comthen go to the juniors category.

Number 2 Is Number 1M a r k W i n t e r s

No. 2 seed Santa Barbara defeated unseeded Los Gatosof Northern California 5-4 in the final of the 6th

Corona del Mar/National High School All-AmericanInvitational Championships. Corona del Mar, tournamentwinner the past three years, downed Irvine Woodbridge 5-4 in the third place playoff. Top seed Harvard-Westlake,upset by Los Gatos in the first round, finished fifth for thethird time, scoring a 7-2 decision over Los AngelesBrentwood. In addition to the teams mentioned, six out ofstate and one squad from Canada participated in the event.

Quite A PictureM a r k W i n t e r s

Snapshots from the first International Spring JuniorChampionships, played at the Carson Training Center,

were magazine worthy. Sam Querrey struck a pose win-ning the Boy’s 18 title 7-5, 6-2 over Pavel Tcheckhov. VaniaKing did the same downing Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-4 for Girl’s18 honors. King added to her photo collection teamingwith Yasmin Schnack to take the doubles 6-3, 6-0 overJennifer Heinser/Elizabeth Plotkin.

Alison Ramos was picture perfect stopping JuliaBoserup 6-2, 6-4 for the Girl’s 16 trophy. The doubles wasa portrait of StaceyTan/Rika Tatsuno edging StephanieHammel/Alyssa Nafarrete 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.

Thien-Trang Nguyen provided the last shot with her 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 Girl’s 14 consolation winner over CocoVandeweghe.

Be Sure To Check

H i g h p e r f o r m a n c e

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A l w a y s

Novice Inaugural

T he inaugral Novice Jamboree, featuring 2004 age divisiontournament winners competing in a non-elimination round-robin, was held under sunny skies at the Barnes Tennis

Center in San Diego. The following players made history, beingthe first ever winners:

Special thanks is extended to Kerry Blum, Ellen Ehlers, JeanKremm and Conan Lorenzo of Youth Tennis San Diego for thetournament support they provided. Because of the event’s suc-cess, plans are being made for next year's tournament.

ShowcasingTomorrow’s Stars

T he 103rd Southern California Junior Sectional Championshipswill take place, June 18-26, at Los Caballeros Sports Village inFountain Valley. The event, annually hosting more than 1,600

players, is the biggest and best tournament of its kind in the world.Past champions include Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and LindsayDavenport, to name just a few).

Last year's champions who will be looking to defend theirtitles include:

Admission to the matches is free. You can also follow the progressof tomorrow's stars by going to www.scta.usta.com under tour-naments (tournament ID # is 651722905).

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B OY ’ S 18

Sam QuerreyB OY ’ S 16

Michael McCluneB OY ’ S 14

Oscar Fabian MatthewsB OY ’ S 12

Brian FangB OY ’ S 10

Joseph DiGiulio

G I R L’ S 18

Tracy LinG I R L’ S 16

McCall JonesG I R L’ S 14

Maxine ThomasG I R L’ S 12

Jordaan SanfordG I R L’ S 10

Natalie Johnson

B OY ’ S 16 /18

Blayne WilsonB OY ’ S 14

Mitchell SomachB OY ’ S 12

Chikara Oshima B OY ’ S 8 /10

Jakob Karnopp

G I R L’ S 16 /18

Hannah MancinoG I R L’ S 14

Brittaney SchererG I R L’ S 12

Nicole KreskyG I R L’ S 10

Sarah Kwan

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Querrey, Glatch,Radeva And Sundling

Mark Winters

uerrey, Glatch, Radeva and Sundling isn’t a new agency repre-senting tennis players. Though, after the performances of SamQuerrey, Alexa Glatch, McCall Jones and John Sundling at the

Easter Bowl, played at the Riviera Resort and Racquet Club inPalm Springs, perhaps it should be. The foursome, along with sev-eral other junior stars, turned the Easter Bowl, (in truth the SeenaBowl, a fitting a.k.a. given the pithy passion for the game of tour-nament founder Seena Hamilton), into a SoCal showcase.

Querrey, the No. 10 seed, surprisedCarsten Ball, seeded No. 2, 6-3, 6-3 inthe Boy’s 18 final. The victory earnedQuerrey a wild card into the Mercedes-Benz Cup qualifying tournament in July.Dylan Arnould of Florence, Massachusetts/Marcus Fugate of Fairport, New Yorkdowned Ball/Michael Venus of Orlando,Florida 6-2, 7-6 in the doubles final.

Alexa Glatch lived up to her top seedstatus battling past Jennifer Lee Heinserof Miami, Florida 6-7, 6-0, 6-3. Glatch added

to her spoils, teaming with LindsayBurdette of Jackson, Georgia to take thedoubles 6-1, 6-4 over Neinser/ElizabethPlotkin of San Francisco.

Steve Johnson/Dennis Nevolo ofGurnee, Illinois, the No. 2 seeds,defeated unseeded Jarmere Jenkins ofCollege Park, Georgia/Ryan Smith ofMarietta, Georgia, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 forthe Boy’s 16 doubles title. Girl’s 16play was all about locals. Unseeded Nelly Radeva outlastedMcCall Jones, the No. 4 seed, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the Girl’s 16 final.Radeva, upset No. 2 seed Kirsten Flower of Columbus, Ohio 6-7, 6-1, 7-6 in the semifinals. Brittany Augustine/Asia Muhammad ofHenderson, Nevada, the No. 9 seeds, erased Lindsay Clark ofBernardsville, New Jersey/Shinann Featherston of RockawayPark, New York, an unseeded tandem, 6-0, 6-1.

Unseeded Andre Dome startled No. 1 seed Ryan Harrison ofNew Braunfels, Texas 6-4, 6-3 in the Boy’s 14 semifinals. JohnSundling, the No. 8 seed, stopped Ty Trombetta of Hallandale,Florida, the No. 17 seed, 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal to set upanother all-section final. Sundling took the title 6-3, 6-3 overDome. In the doubles, another section face-off, AlexanderJohnson/Sandling, seeded No. 9, were 6-0, 6-4 better thanWalker Kehrer/Michael Lin, the No. 4 seeds, in the Boys 14 dou-bles final. Keeping with the section teams in the final theme,Jordan Dockendorf/Thien-Trang Nguyen, No. 4 seeds, defeatedCierra Gaytan-Leach, No. 5 seeds, 6-3, 6-1 for the Girl’s 14 title.

H i g h p e r f o r m a n c e

Q

Alexa Glatch

Sam Querrey Photos: Pat Parsons

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The goal of LA’s BEST(Bet ter Educated

Students for Tomorrow) is to provide elementaryschool children with asupervised after schooleducation, enrichment

and recreation program. Initiated in 1988,the partnership, involving the City of LosAngeles, the Los Angeles Unified SchoolDistrict and the private sector, focuses onproviding a safe haven for youngstersbetween the ages of 5 to 12. From itsoriginal 10 sites, LA’s BEST has grown toserve more than 21,000 students in130 elementary schools. Tennis hasplayed an important role in the develop-ment of the program’s participants.

G i n a P e l a z i n i

“Dan Margolis and I asked if there was a tennis

program. They didn’t haveone. We offered to do it.

We thought that this projectis the best way to keep kidsfrom bad habits and learn a

sport for life – tennis.”

–Francisco Franceschini

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began in 2000 with 10 schools takingpart. This year’s, 47 institutions and 372players shattered the 2004 marks of 33and 261. If you are interested in forminga college/university intramural tennisteam, contact Linda Milan at (310) 208-3838 Ext. 225.

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A record setting 48 co-ed, non-varsity, clubintramural teams participated in the USATeam Tennis National Campus Champion-

ship at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.Sectional participants included University ofCalifornia San Diego, USC and UCLA. TheBruins, the only school to qualify two teams,

enjoyed the most success.UCLA “Blue” dropped a 24-11 semifinal decision to Texas. In

the third place play-off, Harvard was 27-24 better. Texas wasUCLA’s nemesis throughout the tournament, defeating the “Gold”team 29-17 in the quarterfinals. The squadrebounded, topping Penn State 29-17 in consola-tion play. Wisconsin ended their run 29-16 in thebattle for fifth place. Defending champion TexasA&M downed Texas 26-22 in the final.

The three days of play were brought to anend by a Mexican Fiesta Awards Banquet. (Itshould be noted that UCLA made its secondstraight appearance in the tournament and had ateam reach the semifinals for the second straightyear.) The championship, a USTA, NationalIntramural Recreational Sports Association andIntercollegiate Tennis Association partnership,

I n t e r c o l l e g i a t e T e n n i s

UCLA ScoresJ u l i e O s h i r o K e n t o n

UCLA teams battled all the way.

USC jumped at the chance to participate.

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L e a g u e T e n n i s

Cal State ChallengeA l i O r d o ñ e z

For the first time in the three year history of theCalifornia State Cup Challenge, SoCal won theevent 4-2. Playing against NorCal Men’s 8.5, 7.5,

8.5 Men’s – Los Angeles

7.5 Men’s – Orange County

6.5 Men’s – Orange County

7.5 Women’s – San Fernando Valley

6.5 Women’s – Bakersfield

5.5 Women’s – San Fernando Valley

6.5 and Women’s 7.5, 6.5 and 5.5 teams at the Sierra Sport &Racquet Club in Fresno, California, locals captured the Men’s 8.5and 6.5, along with the Women’s 6.5 and 5.5 divisions.

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In keeping with its standard “hirethe best” practice, the SouthernCalifornia Tennis Association has

made an impressive addition. LindaMilan has joined the Adult & Seniorstaff, bringing a rich background. Havinglearned the game playing on public parkcourts in Dayton, Ohio, she has been ahigh school, city and USTA tournamentcompetitor. She also has served onSCTA ranking committees.

Her background is richly diverse,since Milan was an Account Managerwith AT&T prior to her SCTAarrival. The company, for whom sheworked until retiring in 1999,brought her to Southern Californiafrom the east coast.

Explaining that, “I’ve always beenathletic,” Milan is excited about hernew position and assuming the respon-sibilities for the NTRP and Tennis OnCampus programs. “I played everysport as a kid and always wanted towork in the field,” she said. “When Ifound out there was an opening at theSCTA, I wanted to give it a try.”

c o m m u n i t y T e n n i s

OCCTA FundraiserB e c k y E d l e s - R y e

B ack by popular demand, the Orange County Community TennisAssociation (OCCTA) will hold the 2nd Orange County CommunityTennis Foundation Doubles fundraiser, July 9th and 10th. Denis

Moss, who did such a marvelous job organizing last year’s event, will bethe tournament director. Play will take place at Orange County sites.

The fundraiser benefits OCCTA’s community efforts such as:

� Tennis After School (TAS) for Orange County elementary and middle schools;� Subsidizing free or low costs TAS programming with partners like Disney GOALS,

Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove and local inner city multicultural schools;� Special tennis activities for players of all ages;� Adult/Senior tennis leagues.

Participating teams will be competiting for Mercedes-Benz Cup quarterfinal orWorld TeamTennis/Newport Beach Breakers evening home match tickets. To enter goto www.occtatennis.com or e-mail occta10s@cox.net

AnImpressiveAddition

M a r k W i n t e r s

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Jack Kramer, the tennis great who owns Los Serranos Golf & Country Club,was given the “Golden State Award” at the 46th California Golf WritersAssociation banquet. Tony Trabert, the 1955 Pacific Southwest winner, willreceive the Philippe Chatrier Award, the International Tennis Federation’s highesthonor, at the Champions Dinner during Roland Garrosthis month. (Kramer received the award in 2002.) Trabert,the International Tennis Hall of Fame President, will alsobe honored at Wimbledon, having won the men’s singles50 years ago. Angel Lopez, a Southern California TennisAssociation Board member, was named PTR Pro of theYear. Jeri Shepard, one of those inducted in the inaugu-ral California Community College Tennis Hall of Fame in1996, was elected to the California Community CollegeSports Hall of Fame.

N a m e s i n t h e N E W S

Angel Lopez

Linda Milan

Everyone’s looking forward to the doubles action.

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When The TennisChannel appointed a

new Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer in April,the announcement wasgreeted with applause bythose who know the

game. And, for good reason, as KenSolomon, who is taking the helm, said, “Ialmost had a racquet in my hand at birth.I literally grew up in the tennis culture.Everywhere we ever lived, tennis was a bigpart of our lives. I grew up on the eastcoast and then we moved to Palm Springs.I was a ballboy at the US-Mexico DavisCup tie that was held at the Palm SpringsRacquet Club.”

That Solomon has tennis in his genes isnot a surprise since Steve and AbbySolomon, the creators of the highlypraised Campbell’s Mission Hills National

(Category II) Senior Championships, andthe organizers of the Campbell’s Men’s 60& 90 National Championships, are his par-ents. The younger Solomon has a solidtennis background, having been a juniorcompetitor. He combines this with Hall ofFame business credentials as the founderof the Fine Living Cable Network and overtwo decades in executive positions atUniversal Television, DreamWorks, NewsCorp. and Scripps.

“In the Davis Cup, the Stan Smithnational team faced Mexico, which was ledby Raul Ramirez,” the effusive Solomonsaid. “The sea of humanity at the RacquetClub was caught up in the raw emotionand athletic talent displayed. It seemedthat the players and fans were one. Thematches were hard fought, and greatsportsmanship was displayed. With all thatI have done, that was the single most

exciting sports event Ihave seen in my life.”With his extensive

experience in the cableindustry, television pro-duction, distribution andadvertising, along withnew media development,

Solomon, who regularly plays tennis atfamily gatherings in Palm Springs (andfreely praises his parents for his apprecia-tion of the sport), said, “my involvementwith The Tennis Channel is the confluenceof so many things. The stars were alignedin my favor. Having a tennis backgroundhas been good for my career; now it ismy career. It isn’t like we are makingcomedies or dramas. We have an oppor-tunity to make a connection with theaudience and give people a really valuabletennis proposition.”

Solomon To Lead The Tennis Channel

M a r k W i n t e r s

“...The stars were aligned

in my favor. Having a tennis

background has been good

for my career; now it is my

career. It isn’t like we are

making comedies or dramas.

We have an opportunity

to make a connection

with the audience and

give people a really valuable

tennis proposition.”

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The Tennis Channel Chairman and CEO Ken Solomon with founder and President Steve Bellamy.

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S a n D i e g o D i s t r i c t

14

Enhancing communi-ty tennis programs,especially at park

and recreation facilities,heads the list of SanDiego District TennisAssociation goals. The

San Diego Tennis Fest at Balboa TennisClub, a free celebration of the sport, wasa huge success with hundreds of peopleroaming the fifteen courts set up for drills,equipment demos, games, an exhibitionmatch and a sports injury prevention clin-ic. Top teaching professionals gave theirtime to show how to hit tennis balls andhave fun doing it. This was the fifth yearthe District has sponsored the eventwhich has become a huge success.

The key, as the saying goes, is “to keepthem on the courts”. To this end, GailBenzler, Community Tennis Director, hasongoing free Family Tennis Days at variouslocations throughout the county. Alsomany clubs and facilities are TennisWelcome Centers where beginning play-ers are able to sign up for low-cost lessonclinics. With today's advanced teachingmethods, it is possible to learn to playquickly. If you have friends who would beinterested in taking up a great sport, havethem check www.sandiegotennis.com forlocations in their area.

Drop In Tennis, free for adult begin-ners, is another “get ‘em started” pro-gram sponsored by the District. AlbertLeDuc exemplifies those involved. Heruns Drop In Tennis at the San YsidroSenior Center, a two court facility, on ayear around basis. “I have been doingDrop In Tennis for a year now and usual-ly have six or seven adults who comedown to the courts on Saturdays from12-1,” he said. “It's a six-week class thatgets them hitting balls. I even had a 92-year-old man who enjoyed himself inthe clinic! He would hit for about 15 min-utes, then sit down and rest a little and

then go back on the court to hit again.”LeDuc, fluent in English, Spanish and

Italian, took up tennis at 28 after being asoccer player. He's been teaching thegame for 15 years and finds that it is,“satisfying to watch adults pick up a rac-quet for the first time, and after a shortwhile be able to rally. And then they findthey love the sport.”

SDDTA president Anne Podney is anx-ious for more tennis teachers to offerDrop In Tennis at their facilities. “It's oneof the best ways to expose adults to ten-nis, especially at parks,” she said. “Ourexperience tells us that there are adultswho want to learn to play, but don'tknow how to go about it. We can helptennis teachers bring these people andtennis together.”

For information about starting theDrop In Tennis program call (619) 299-8647.

Summer means it’s time for USASenior League (players born in 1955 orearlier) and, new this year, USA SuperSenior League (for those born in 1945 orearlier). USA Senior League men playSunday mornings at 9 a.m. Women play at9 a.m. – 3.0 – Monday; 3.5 – Tuesday; 4.5– Wednesday; 4.0 – Thursday. Super Seniormen compete Saturday mornings andwomen play Friday mornings. The formatis three doubles matches. Roster deadlineis June 10th. If you are old enough, play inboth Leagues. For details, call (858) 755-8110.

Getting Them On The Court

L e s l e y W a i t e

Known for her caring and concern,Fay Schiller Bergerman beganplaying tennis as a pre-teen. She careddeeply for tennis, playing at theBrentwood Country Club until she wasinto her 80s. With her passing in March,the lady who had the same birthday(April 23rd) as Shakespeare and MarilynMonroe left behind quite a legend.

In spite of his “Tonight Show” televisionfamilarity, Johnny Carson was aprivate man. Yet, as the Los AngelesTimes brought out, in a January tributeafter his passing, he was “a one-of-a-kind regular guy.” Carson, whose nameis on the drawboard in the Los AngelesTennis Center plaza, had a passion forthe game. He enjoyed playing andwatching. Having launched the careersof a Who’s Who collection of comedi-ans, he became an institution; an insti-tution that will be greatly missed.

Alvin Davis was a rare person; anindividual who garnered success in twolife pursuits. A USC medical schoolgraduate, he was a pioneer in forensicpsychiatry. During his lengthy career, (hepracticed medicine into his 80s), Daviscampaigned for humane treatment forthe mentally ill in the California andFederal court systems. In 1981, he wasdesignated a Fellow of the AmericanPsychiatric Association. In 2003, hebecame a Distinguished Fellow. On thecourt, Davis earned accolades and tro-phies as a senior player. In 1995, he wasa member of the victorious Men’s 80Mulloy Cup team. Both medicine andthe game lost a significant contributorwhen he died in February.

Not only was she Pam Shriver’s grand-mother, it could be respectfully said thatMarion Ketcham occupied a similarposition with Youth Tennis San Diego.One of the early donors to the CapitalCampaign to build the Barnes TennisCenter (a court is named in Gordonand Marion Ketcham’s honor), she wasa YTSD Foundation benefactor and reg-ularly presented trophies to youngstersplaying tournaments at the facility. LastOctober, she and Shriver were honoredat the MatchPoint Ball. In FebruaryYouth Tennis San Diego and the sportlost a valued friend.

I n M e m o r i a m

“...Our experience tells usthat there are adults who

want to learn to play,but don't know how

to go about it....”

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Y o u t h T e n n i s S a n D i e g o

15

As Youth Tennis SanDiego winds downits 15th year of After

School Tennis, the programwants to acknowledge thosewho have made the activityso special. Without their

efforts, After School Tenniswould not be the success it is.

While most folks are sleep-ing on Saturday morning, NickIrby is meeting AST youngstersand riding the bus with themto the Barnes Center when-ever there is an event. Youmight be thinking, “get a life,Nick,” but Nick has a very fulllife. He has a family, including adaughter who plays on theMission Bay tennis team.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After School Tennis – Special People K e r r y B l u m

Sylvia DeVoe,who unfailingly getsyoungsters and rac-quets to the courtson Saturday after-noons for TeamTennis, is another

who deservespraise. Her organi-zational skills donot stop there.She makes sureparticipants aretreated to an end of the sea-son party where

everyone is made to feel unique and special.Teaching and coaching come naturally to

AST instructors. Jennifer Teachout is evenmore talented. She helps students, with herfashion design skill, put together “ensembles”from the tennis clothing donated to theBarnes Center. If a skirt is too large, sheshows the girl how to pin or roll the waist-band so it fits.

When it comes to offering praise, JudyInskeep is last, but by no means least.Nothing is impossible for her. She has builtone of YTSD’s largest programs. Against allodds, she manages to transport students allover San Diego for Team Tennis matches.Most impressive is the fact that all her students are wonderful sports.

Yes, 2004-2005 has been a great year forAST. Thank you to everyone who helpedmake it so spectacular.

WIN A TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY…Enter the Arthur Ashe Essay ContestYou can win a trip to New York City, attend Arthur Ashe Kids' Day and, based on availability, go to a professionalsporting event, check out a Broadway show, go on a boat tour around New York City and receive an award at aluncheon in your honor!Rules: Write an essay on one 8 1/2” x 11” paper in 300 words or less answering the question, “Why is Arthur Ashe a Legend?”Return entry form along with your essay to your USA Tennis NJTL chapter or program. Contest is open to boys and girls whoare currently participating in a program sponsored by their local USA Tennis NJTL Program or Chapter, who are legal U.S. orBritish Columbia residents, and who meet age requirements. See reverse side for complete rules.Deadline: Entry deadline for local USA Tennis NJTL chapters and programs is July 11, 2005.Age: Your age group is determined by your age on July 10, 2005.Prizes: Judges will select 10 names from Sectional winners-one boy and one girl from each age group. Each of the 10 winners,along with a parent or guardian, will win a trip to New York Aug. 26-28 and will be guests at the 2005 Arthur Ashe Kids' Day atthe US Open on Aug. 27. All Sectional winners not nationally selected will receive a plaque from USA Tennis NJTL.

Your Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Birth Date _________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________________________________________________________________ State ____________________ Zip ____________________

Phone (area code) ______________ – ________________________ School Attending __________________________________________________________________________

NJTl chapter/program name_________________________________________________________________________________ NJTL ID# ______________________________

Where did you get your application form (school, Internet, pro, teacher, library, paper)? ________________________________________________________________________

GIRLS 10 12 14 16 18 (circle one) BOYS 10 12 14 16 18 (circle one)

Parent/Guardian Signature ________________________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Arthur Ashe - 1943-1993National Junior TennisLeague Co-founder

For every hour spent on theplaying field, two should be spent with a book.

~Arthur Ashe

Achieve,Play, Learn,Explore

USA Tennis NJTL Phone914-696-7000

ENTRY FORM

www.scta.usta.com

16

Non-Prof it Org

US Postage

P A I D

UCLA

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UCLASouthern California Tennis AssociationLos Angeles Tennis Center - UCLA420 Charles E. Young Drive WestLos Angeles, CA 90024-9115

uly 23rd is the date; RivieraCountry Club the location. The

spot where the SouthernCalifornia Tennis Association’s black tieHall of Fame induction gala and ceremonyhonoring Tracy Austin, Glenn Bassett,Beverly Baker Fleitz, Pancho Gonzalez andPancho Segura will take place. For details, call(310) 208-3838 Ext. 240.

J

Austin, Bassett, Baker Fleitz, Gonzalez andSegura Entering SCTA Hall Of Fame

Tracy Austin

Beverly Baker Fleitz Pancho Gonzalez

Glenn Bassett Pancho Segura