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FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
FALL/WINTER 17

   Year 41, Issue 4               The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers                    Est. 1976

                         USTA COLORADO
                          Gates Tennis Center
                          3300 E Bayaud Ave
                          Suite 201
                          Denver, CO 80209
                          303.695.4116
www.COLORADOTENNIS.com
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
page   2   COLORADOTENNIS.com   FALL/WINTER2017
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
MEADOW     CREEK
FALL/WINTER2017                                            COLORADOTENNIS.com                                         page   3

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FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
page   4                                                                                           COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                          FALL/WINTER2017

                                                                                                                                                                                                fall/winter 2017

   Year 41, Issue 4                            The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Est. 1976
  FEATURES                                                                                                                                                                                          YEAR 41, ISSUE 4 — OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

6 BLENDING IN                                                                                                                                         FALL/WINTER 17
                                                                                                                                                                                                    About COLORADO TENNIS
       After 115 years, Paddle Tennis has been rebranded                                                                                                                                            COLORADO TENNIS (USPS #013-371) is the quarterly publication
                                                                                                                                                                                                    (January, April, July & October/November) of :
                                                                          Year 41, Issue 4       The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers                                          Est. 1976

       as POP Tennis. The change is more than just
       a marketing effort with onomatopoeic words.                                                                                                                                                  USTA Colorado/Colorado Tennis Association
       POP Tennis is exactly that....tennis that POPs!                                                                                                                                              3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201
       Adopting the 60-foot blended line courts required                                                                                                                                            Denver, CO 80209
                                                                                                                                                                                                    303/695-4116
       for all 10 and Under play and the GREEN dot
       low-compression ball, POP is both old school                                                                                                                                                 Free subscriptions are available, contact the editor.
       (originated in 1898) and mainstream.                                                                                                                                                         Periodical postage paid at Denver, CO.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    POSTMASTER, SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:
       Thanks to the recent decision to adopt existing                                                                                                                                              COLORADO TENNIS, 3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201
       tennis infrastructure, POP is no longer a niche                                                                                                                                              Denver, CO 80209
       sport. The readily accessible courts, the easy to
                                                                                                                                                                                                    COLORADO TENNIS Editor
                                                                                                                                                                    www.COLORADOTENNIS.com

       find equipment and the lack of complicated rules – not to mention the positive effect the
                                                                                                                                              303.695.4116
                                                                                                                                              Denver, CO 80209
                                                                                                                                              Suite 201

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Kurt Desautels, Phone: 303/695-4116 x203
                                                                                                                                              3300 E Bayaud Ave
                                                                                                                                              Gates Tennis Center
                                                                                                                                             USTA COLORADO

       game has on one's tennis skills – has led to the USTA's endorsement of POP Tennis. POP                                                                                                       Email: kurt@coloradotennis.com
       became the first paddle sport in the 19th century, and is leading the way again in the 21st
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Advertising
       century as the case study for adapting and collaborating with other sports.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Karen Engel, Phone: 720/495-5104

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Visit our website for advertising rate cards:
  PROFILES                                                                                                                                                                                          COLORADOTENNIS.com
14 SPOTLIGHT                       16 H5.30                                   22 PREP WRAP
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Download this issue from our
           The Denver Tennis            A set of five profiles on local                      Brett Finan, Christian Holmes
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Digital Newsstand :
           Park seeks to bring          players, coaches and tennis                          make history, Fairview finally
           tennis to Denver's           advocates for their on/                              topples Creek, and Kent Denver
           schoolkids.                  off-court achievements:                              earns their fifth consecutive title.
                                         Jackie Jones
                                         Parker Racquet Club
                                         Ginger Phillips
                                         Daniel & Natalia Smith
                                         Ron Steege                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   COLORADO TENNIS              Summer (July) 2017

                                                                                                                                                                                                       COLORADO TENNIS                                           0 1 3        3 7 1   09/1/2017
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 18,063          18,250
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Quarterly (the Big Book/January, April, July, October)            Four (4)              NA
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 16,257          16,716
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Kurt Desautels
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Colorado Tennis Association, 3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201,                                                                                  0                0

  IN FOCUS
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Denver, CO 80209                                                               303/695-4116 ext. 203
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0                0
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Colorado Tennis Association, 3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201, Denver, CO 80209
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0                0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 16,257          16,716
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Colorado Tennis Association, 3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201, Denver, CO 80209                                                                 0                0

13 ANNUAL AWARDS                   21 PLAYING KIND                            28 YOUR WRIST AT RISK                                                                                                    Kurt Desautels, Colorado Tennis Association, 3300 E Bayaud Ave, Suite 201, Denver, CO 80209

                                                                                                                                                                                                       N/A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1,706
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1,434

           Introducing the 2017         Meet two youngsters who are                          The biomechanics of the wrist                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1,706

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 17,963
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1,434

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 18,150

           Colorado Tennis              recognized by their peers and                        are amongst the most complex of                                                                            Colorado Tennis Association (non-profit)                  3300 E Bayaud Ave                                                               100              100

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Suite 201                                                                      18,063          18,250
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Denver, CO 80209

           Annual Award Winners         coaches for "Playing Kind".                          any joint in the body and play an
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 99.4%           99.5%

                                                                                             integral role in every tennis swing.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   •

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0                    0

                                                                                             The slightest bit of discomfort can
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 17,963           18,150
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 18,063          18,250
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 99.4%            99.5%

                                                                                             significantly hinder your tennis game.                                                                     •
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              •

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              •
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Fall/Winter (October) 2017

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            09/01/2017

  DEPARTMENTS
              10 the BUZZ: Nouns in the News doing This, That & the Other
              18 JUNIOR TENNIS: News & notes
              19 YOUTH PROGRESSION UPDATE: Colorado implements national Youth Progression Pathway in 2018
              20 JUNIOR COMPETITION: Recruiting lists from our friends at TennisRecruiting.net
              25 ADULT LEAGUES: Recapping the 2017 Adult League Season
              27 ADULT COMPETITION: Recapping the Big 3: Denver City Open, Boulder Open, Colorado State Open
              29 THE BIG CHAIR: News and notes from USTA Colorado Headquarters
              30 THE LAST WORD: Will Net Generation be déja vu all over again?
              31 USTA CO-411: About USTA Colorado and contact information                                                                                                                                                                                       © 2017 Colorado Tennis Association
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
FALL/WINTER2017                                      COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                                                          page   5

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                         *Restrictions and terms may apply. Must be local resident, age 18 or older with valid photo ID. First-time guest only. Offer ends December 31, 2017. ©2017 Wellbridge
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
page   6                                                                  COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                     FALL/WINTER2017

THECOVERSTORY
BLENDING IN                                                                                                                                                     STORY & PHOTOS BY
  THE REBRANDING OF POP TENNIS IS A CASE STUDY IN ADAPTATION AND COLLABORATION                                                                                    USTACOLORADO

       T   
               he master of understanding
               adaptation, Charles Darwin,
               wrote:
                                                                                        While Darwin was likely referencing tortoises, finches or perhaps even
                                                                                        marine iguanas, the fundamental truth is that survival often depends
                                                                                         on flexibility, being able to roll with the tide. And the extent of one's
                                                                                           ability to adapt to a changing environment is the difference between
                                                                                           surviving, and thriving.
                                                                                          After its founding more than 100 years ago, Paddle Tennis found
   "it is not the most intellectual of                                                   itself surviving amongst a sea of predators — Platform Tennis,
                                                                                          Pádel, Table Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, etc. But in order to stop
   the species that survives; it is not                                                      surviving and begin thriving, Paddle embarked on a decision that
   the strongest that survives;                                                                     would instantly shine a spotlight on the sport and land it
                                                                                                      smack dab in the center of the mainstream culture.
   but the species that survives                                                                          The name change to "POP" was featured on an NBC
   is the one that is able best                                                                            TODAY Show interview where the re-branded Paddle
                                                                                                             Tennis was introduced as a fun and social game that
   to adapt and adjust to the                                                                                   can be played by everyone. While the segment
   changing environment in                                                                                         created a tremendous amount of interest, there
                                                                                                                      were only a limited number of paddle courts
   which it finds itself."                                                                                             in the US.
                                                                                                                       The solution was, in essence, "if you can't
                                                                                                                       beat 'em, join 'em." The decision was made
                                                                                                                       to add a new format, one that took advantage
                                                                                                                       of the more than 30,000 tennis courts across
                                                                                                                      America that have added 60-foot blended
                                                                                                                    lines (for 10 and Under play). In addition to
                                                                                                                  immediate infrastructure access across the
                                                                                                                country, POP also adopted the low-compression
                                                                                                            green-dot tennis ball found in sports and department
                                                                                                    stores nationwide. And because the rules are virtually
                                                                                                   identical to traditional tennis, the transition from traditional
                                                                                                    tennis to POP tennis is an easy one.
                                                                                                       “We are standardizing the size of POP Tennis courts so the
                                                                                                     game can also be played on the thousands of 60-foot tennis
                                                                                                      courts already in use and being built across the US,” says
                                                                                                       Ken Lindner, a member of the POP Tennis Hall of Fame.
                                                                                                        “We’ve also adopted the lower pressure green-dot tennis
                                                                                                         balls that have been used for many years throughout the
                                                                                                         country for both youth and adult tennis programs and
                                                                                                          competition,” says Lindner.

                                                                                                             And just like that, POP Tennis blended in with the
                Ken Caryl's Judy Anderson is all                                                             mainstream.
                  smiles after a long POP rally.

                                                                                GOOD FOR YOUR TENNIS GAME
                                                                                   “Unlike sports that require prior lessons, children and adults of all ages and abilities can just
                                                                                grab a racquet and a ball and have a fantastic time on a 60-foot court, which makes POP Tennis
                                                                                a great family activity,” Lindner says. “Tennis and POP Tennis are totally complementary and
                                                                                compatible sports. POP Tennis is a form of tennis—just about every youngster who has ever picked
                                                                                up a POP Tennis racquet has transitioned naturally and inevitably to play tennis in high school,
                                                                                college, and/or socially.”
                                                                                   “POP Tennis is fantastic for your tennis game for many reasons,” said, Austin Doerner,
                                                                                a multi-time POP Tennis national champ currently ranked No. 1 in the world in POP Tennis
                                                                                rankings in singles, and alongside his brother, Scott (an All-American at Pepperdine during its
                                                                                NCAA Championship season) in doubles. Austin teaches both tennis and POP Tennis in Southern
                                                     POP Tennis ambassadors
                                                                                California. “First, the strokes are very similar to tennis, so making the transition back and forth
                                                       Austin & Scott Doerner
                                                                                is easy. Second, most shots in POP Tennis after the serve and return are volleys because of the
                                                   flank POP Tennis President
                                                                                smaller court. This rewards players who take the net and keep the ball down the middle of the
                                                       Jerry Pham at the POP
                                                    debut at Ken Caryl Ranch,   court.”
                                                     hosted by USTA Colorado.                                                                                         continued >>>>>
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
FALL/WINTER2017
                        TM
                                                                                                POP Quiz         60 ft. Court

                                                                                                                 COLORADOTENNIS.com
                                                                                                                                                                               POP 60:
                                                                                                                                                                               Singles & Doubles: 21’ x 60’                      page   7

                                                                                                                                                                              POP Quiz
                                                                                                  36”                                                                          Doubles: 27’ x 60’ (optional)
                THE HISTORY OF                                                   What is POP Tennis?                                     60’       78’ Standard size

                 POP TENNIS                                                      POP Tennis is Tennis, just played
                                                                                                            21’     on shorter tennis courts           tennis court            Net Height: 36” standard height
                                                                                                           TM

                                                                                 with shorter, solid racquets, lower compression tennis                                        Racquet: Solid racquet with holes
                                                                                 balls and the samesingles
                                                                                                      scoring and rules as tennis - except
                    Paddle Tennis was invented in the late 1800s
                by Reverend Frank Peter Beal as an activity                      for one underhand serve. POP Tennis is the new POPular                         What is Ball:
                                                                                                                                                                        POP Green
                                                                                                                                                                              Tennis?
                                                                                                                                                                                  Dot, low compression
                                                                                                                            doubles
                for children and as a means for them to learn                    type of tennis with a twist on paddle tennis dating back                       POP Tennis is Tennis, just played on shorter tennis courts
                to play Tennis. His initial Paddle Tennis court                  to 1898 and is being played across
                                                                                                                27’   the USA and around                        with shorter, solid racquets, lower compression tennis

                                                                                                                                                                           POP Quiz
                was 18’ x 39’, exactly one-half the size of a                    the world. POP Tennis is a fun, social work out that                           balls and the same scoring and rules as tennis - except
                regulation tennis court. Players used a sponge-                  everyone can play and enjoy—immediately!
                                                                                                                36’                                             for one underhand serve. POP Tennis is the new POPular
                rubber ball and a wooden paddle. The much                                                                                                       type of tennis with a twist on paddle tennis dating back
                smaller court and the short-handled paddle
                                                                                                                                                                to 1898 and is being played across the USA and around
                allowed children to pick-up the game quickly;
                                                                                                     TM

                                                                                                                                                                the world. POP Tennis is a fun, social work out that
                as a result, they enjoyed playing while attaining
                mastery of a racquet sport that prepared them
                                                                                                                                                                everyone can play and enjoy—immediately!
                to play tennis. Reverend Beal then moved to
                New York City in 1921, and the following year,                                                   POP 60
                the first Paddle Tennis tournament was held.                                                        60 ft. Court                                               POP 60:
                During this time, adults began playing the sport
                and enjoyed how easy and exhilarating it was to                                                                                                                Singles & Doubles: 21’ x 60’
                play. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Paddle                                           36”                                                                Doubles: 27’ x 60’ (optional)
                Tennis grew in popularity and spread to various                                                      Pickleball:          60’      78’ Standard size                                  Badminton:
What is Pickleball?                                                             What is Badminton?                                                     tennis court          Net Height: 36” standard height
                cities across the country, especially on the West
 ckleball is a racquet game that combines elements of badmin-                   Badminton is a racquet sport played Court:
                                                                                                                      21’ using20’ x 44’ to hit a
                                                                                                                                 racquets                                                            Court: 20’ x 44’
 n, tennis, andCoast.
                  table tennis. Doubles or singles players use solid            shuttlecock across a net. Although  Netit Height:
                                                                                                                          may be played36”with larger                        Racquet: Solid racquet Net Height:
                                                                                                                                                                                                           with holes61”
addles made of By       theorlate
                     wood          1950s, the
                               composite         game’s
                                            materials       popularity
                                                         to hit          had
                                                                a perforated    teams, the most commonsingles      Racquet: Thin"singles"
                                                                                                               forms of the  game  are  solid and                                                  Racquet: strings
                grown.    Tennis    greats,  such   as  Althea   Gibson
 astic ball, similar to a wiffle ball, over a net. The game uses the     and    "doubles". Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity
                                                                                                                  racquet with holes
                                                                                                                                                                             Ball: Green Dot, low      compression
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Ball: Shuttlecock
 mensions and   Bobby
                   layoutRiggs,     were playing
                            of a badminton     court,Paddle
                                                       and a net Tennis  and
                                                                   and rules    inWhat
                                                                                   a yard orisonPickleball?
                                                                                                   a beach; formal games are played doubles
                                                                                                                                       on a rectangular       What is Badminton?
 milar to tennis,   with a fewinmodifications.
                competing          its tournaments.Pickleball
                                                           Alsowas  invented
                                                                 during  this   indoor  court.
                                                                                  Pickleball  is aPoints aregame
                                                                                                   racquet        Ball:
                                                                                                             scored       Plastic
                                                                                                                    by combines
                                                                                                                  that striking thewiffle ball
                                                                                                                                    shuttlecock
                                                                                                                                  elements       with the
                                                                                                                                            of badmin-        Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a
                                                                                                                          27’
  the mid 1960s     as a the
                time,    children's   backyard
                               Brighton    Beach pastime
                                                     Baths, butinhas
                                                                   Brooklyn,    racquet   and landing
                                                                                  ton, tennis,  and tableit within
                                                                                                            tennis. the opposing
                                                                                                                    Doubles        side'splayers
                                                                                                                             or singles   half of use
                                                                                                                                                  the solid
                                                                                                                                                      court.   shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger
ecome popular   New among
                       York,adults    as well.
                               converted    hand-tennis courts into 20            paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated              teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" and
                                                                                                                                                                                       TM

                                                                                                                            36’a net. The game uses the
                                                                                  plastic ball, similar to a wiffle ball, over                                 "doubles". Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity
                smaller-sized Paddle Tennis courts; and “BBB”
                soon became a hub for Paddle Tennis and
                                                                                  dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules              in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular

                                                                                                                                                                                                  POP 60
                                                                                  similar to tennis, with a few modifications. Pickleball was invented         indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the
                remained so for decades to come.
                                                                                  in the mid 1960s as a children's backyard pastime but has                    racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the court.

                                                                                                                                                                              POP Quiz
                    In 1961, the official Paddle Tennis court                     become popular among adults as well.
                was lengthened by three feet on each end in                                                                                                                                          60 ft. Court
                order to make it 20’ x 50’ thus creating the
                “Classic POP” Tennis court size. At this time,                                             TM

                the sponge-rubber ball was replaced with a
                                                                                                                                                                                            36”
                decompressed tennis ball, the net was lowered,
                and the overhand serve was also eliminated,                                                                                                     What is POP Tennis?                                        60’          78’ Standa
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            tennis
                and only one underhand serve was allowed.                                                                                                       POP Tennis is Tennis, just played on 21’ shorter tennis courts

What is Padél   These Tennis?
                          changes were accepted by both the East
                                                                                What is Platform Tennis?                 Padél     Tennis:
                                                                                                                          Pickleball:                                                                    Platform tennis
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Badminton:
                                                                                                                                                                with shorter, solid racquets, lower compression          Tennis:
adél Tennis is played on Coast
                and   West            Paddle
                              an enclosed       Tennis
                                            court         Associations
                                                    approximately        and
                                                                     ⅓ the                                                Court:
                                                                                                                        Court:
                                                                                Platform Tennis is an outdoor winter racquet        20’
                                                                                                                                   33’ xx66’
                                                                                                                                          44’
                                                                                                                                      sport derived             balls and the same scoring  singles    Court:
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Court:    20’ x
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    30’ 44’
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        x
                                                                                                                                                                                              and rules as tennis - except60’
                are   still in effect  today   for “Classic    POP”.
 ze of a tennis court. Team doubles play is most popular. Scoring               from tennis, developed in 1928 Net       Net   Height:
                                                                                                                              Height:
                                                                                                                       in Scarsdale,        36” . Total
                                                                                                                                      New 36.22”
                                                                                                                                          York                  for one underhand serve. POP Tennis   Net
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Net    Height:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                Height:
                                                                                                                                                                                                            is the       61”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           37”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   newdoubles
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         POPular
 the same as tennis Throughout       theused
                         and the balls     70s,are 80s,    and 90s, West
                                                   low compression              enclosed court size is approximately     Racquet:
                                                                                                                      Racquet:
                                                                                                                             ⅓ the sizeThin
                                                                                                                                      Solid  solid
                                                                                                                                        of a racquet
                                                                                                                                             tennis             type of tennis with a twist on paddle Racquet:
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Racquet:     strings
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Thinback
                                                                                                                                                                                                           tennis dating    solid
                Coast
adél tennis balls.   ThePaddle      Tennis enjoyed
                          main differences     are thatgreat    growth
                                                         the court  has and     court and is surrounded by a chicken    racquet
                                                                                                                     with   holeswith holes high.
                                                                                                                             wire  fence 12  feet                                                    Ball:27’
                                                                                                                                                                                                      racquet Shuttlecock
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 with
                                                                                                                                                                to 1898 and is being played across the USA and around   holes
 alls and the balls   can be played
                popularity             off them
                                in Venice         in a similar
                                             Beach,             way as clubs
                                                       and private     in         WhatTennis
                                                                                Platform    is Padélhas itsTennis?
                                                                                                            own unique Ball:
                                                                                                                     Ball:
                                                                                                                           set of rules but
                                                                                                                               Plastic
                                                                                                                             low
                                                                                                                                            scoring
                                                                                                                                        wiffle
                                                                                                                                   compression  ball is         What    is Platform
                                                                                                                                                                the world.  POP Tennis isTennis?     Ball:
                                                                                                                                                                                           a fun, social  work soft
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 outplatform
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      that
  e game of squash     or racquetball,
                like Sand      and Seaand      that solid
                                            Club,          racquets areClub,
                                                     the Jonathan               similar  to tennis.
                                                                                  Padél Tennis       A solidonpaddle
                                                                                                 is played             with holes
                                                                                                                an enclosed   courtare used to hit a⅓ the
                                                                                                                                     approximately              Platform Tennis is an outdoor winter racquet sport derived
  ed. Over 4Mthe players                                                                                            Padél   tennis ball                         everyone   can  play  and           tennis36’ ball
                                                                                                                                                                                          enjoy—immediately!
                       Belplay
                             AirPadél
                                   BayinClub,
                                          Europeandand the
                                                         South   America.
                                                              Beach    Club.    spongy
                                                                                  size of aball measuring
                                                                                            tennis           2.5” in
                                                                                                    court. Team      diameter.
                                                                                                                  doubles   play is most popular. Scoring       from tennis, developed in 1928 in Scarsdale, New York . Total
                During this golden era of Paddle Tennis in                        is the same as tennis and the balls used are low compression                  enclosed court size is approximately ⅓ the size of a tennis
                Los Angeles, some of the greatest POP Tennis                      Padél tennis balls. The main differences are that the court has               court and is surrounded by a chicken wire fence 12 feet high.
                                                                                  walls and the balls can be played off them in a similar way as in             Platform Tennis has its own unique set of rules but scoring is
                players emerged.
                                                                                  the game of squash or racquetball, and that solid racquets are                similar to tennis. A solid paddle with holes are used to hit a
                  While the popularity of the game progressed,
                                                                                  used. Over 4M players play Padél in Europe and South America.                 spongy ball measuring 2.5” in diameter.
                confusion with the name arose. The term
                “Paddle” tennis differed drastically per
                geographic region and has since been confused
                with sports other than the original game (i.e.
                ping pong, platform paddle tennis, paddle ball,
                beach tennis, pickleball or more recently padel).
                The need for a new name to set the game apart
                                                                                 What is Pickleball?                      Padél Tennis:                                                                  Pickleball:
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Platform Tennis:
                was necessary.                                                                                                                                 What is Badminton?
                  In 2015, an integral group of trailblazers                                                             Court:
                                                                                 Pickleball is a racquet game that combines elements33’ x 66’of badmin-                                                 Court:
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Court:
                                                                                                                                                               Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets 20’toxx 60’
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30’     44’a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          hit
                coined the unique name, POP Tennis™. Alas,                                                               Net   Height:
                                                                                 ton, tennis, and table tennis. Doubles or singles players 36.22”
                                                                                                                                                use solid                                              Net
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Net   Height:
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Height:
                                                                                                                                                               shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with37”  36”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             larger
                the spirit, popularity and sound of our sport is                 paddles made of wood or composite      Racquet: Solid aracquet
                                                                                                                            materials to hit  perforated       teams, the most common forms of theRacquet:
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Racquet: Thin
                                                                                                                                                                                                        game  are    Thinsolid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  "singles"   solid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              and
                portrayed through its namesake and re-brand.
                                                                                 plastic ball, similar to a wiffle ball,with
                                                                                                                        over aholes
                                                                                                                               net. The game uses the          "doubles". Badminton is often played as   a casual
                                                                                                                                                                                                      racquet withoutdoor
                                                                                                                                                                                                                with holes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        holesactivity
                                                                                 dimensions and layout of a badminton         court, and a net and rules
                                                                                                                      Ball: low compression                    in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played   on  a rectangular
                “Everything about our sport, POPS!”™
                                                                                 similar to tennis, with a few modifications. Pickleball was invented
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ball:   soft  platform
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Plastic  wiffle   ball
                                                                                                                                                               indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the
                  In 2016, POP Tennis adopted both the 50' and                                                       Padél tennis ball                                                               tennis ball
                                                                                 in the mid 1960s as a children's backyard pastime but has                     racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the court.
                60’ courts, providing more options for play.                     become popular among adults as well.
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
page   8                                                                                            COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                           FALL/WINTER2017

                                                                                                                     POPPIN' AT THE
                                                                                                                     KC RANCH HOUSE
                                                                                                                      With twenty 60-foot blended courts and POP
                                                                                                                      Tennis racquets available for players to try,
                                                                                                                      Ken Caryl was a natural place for Jerry Pham
                                                                                                                      to introduce POP.

   "Finally, I've always believed different              International POP Tennis Association, to
racquet sports help develop sharper hand                 debut the sport in Colorado. Introductory
eye skills and because POP is played on a                events were held at Gates Tennis Center
tennis court with almost identical rules it's a          and Ken Caryl Ranch House, and people
no brainer that it would improve your tennis             had the chance to get on the court and
game,” he went on to say.                                experience it first-hand.
   Doerner believes that one of the most                   Clay and Heather McCoy enjoyed getting
transferable skills learned by playing POP               on the court at the POP Tennis Debut at Gates.
Tennis is staying steady through impact.                 Heather, a former collegiate basketball
“I believe this transfers from POP Tennis                player loves watching professional tennis
to tennis, specifically when returning and               but doesn’t play. “POP Tennis was easy to
volleying. Staying steady and controlling a              pick up, especially for someone who doesn’t
shorter swing during contact is essential in             play tennis but does know the game concept.
POP Tennis because of the shorter court and              The structure and scoring all mirror tennis.”
smaller racquet in hand. Taking that lesson              She went on to say, “I love that I have added               “For adults who are new or returning to          drills and games in POP Tennis clinics that
onto the tennis court can give a player the              a racquet sport to my athletic endeavors. I               tennis, for children starting out in the sport,    they offer in tennis clinics.
tools to change and improve their game,”                 grew up playing team sports which is really               and for those who may not feel they can move          Leanne Palmisano, Direct of Tennis at
said Doerner.                                            hard to keep up as you get older. My husband              as well as they used to, tennis on shorter         Crestmoor Community Association in
   The Doerner brothers recently came to                 loves tennis and we enjoyed playing POP
                                                                                                                   courts makes perfect sense,” says Lindner.         Denver, attended the training. She had
Denver with Jerry Pham, president of the                 Tennis together.”
                                                                                                                   “But POP Tennis is also helping currently          previously introduced her members to POP
                                                                                                                   active people maintain and improve their           Tennis at one of her social mixers this past
 POPPIN' AT GATES                                                                                                  health and fitness, because it’s incredibly        summer. “It was fun and different, and
  Gates Tennis Center hosted the Colorado debut of POP Tennis, which introduced local tennis teaching pros to      fun to play. It will keep people on the courts     players had a great time,” she described.
  the sport, and trained them on how to incorporate POP into their existing programming. Gates has eight 60-foot   and playing tennis throughout their lives.”        Palmisano plans to incorporate POP Tennis
  blended courts ready for POP play, and will soon have POP racquets for guests to try.                                                                               into her existing programming because she
                                                                                                                   GOOD FOR FACILITIES                                sees how the skills can transfer into tennis,
                                                                                                                      “For tennis providers, offering POP Tennis      and also thinks it is a great way to get those
                                                                                                                   at facilities and parks will help bring more       who don't play or stopped playing tennis out
                                                                                                                   people of all ages into tennis,” says Jolyn        on the court.
                                                                                                                   de Boer, executive director of the Tennis
                                                                                                                   Industry Association (TIA). “POP Tennis is a       PROVIDERS IN A PICKLE
                                                                                                                   perfect fit for all facilities, especially those     Here in Colorado, and across the country,
                                                                                                                   who are facing demands from short-court            there has been a recent demand from players
                                                                                                                   alternative forms of tennis that potentially       to add permanent Pickleball lines on tennis
                                                                                                                   impact existing tennis infrastructure.”            courts. What they don’t realize is that the
                                                                                                                      In conjunction with the POP Tennis              addition of permanent pickleball lines on a
                                                                                                                   Debut events, 20 tennis teaching pros              tennis court renders the court unusable for
                                                                                                                   attended an instructor training to explore         sanctioned tennis play in Colorado.
                                                                                                                   ways to incorporate POP Tennis into their            "There are only so many dollars available
                                                                                                                   programming on their existing tennis courts.       for investment in tennis," says Lisa Schaefer,
                                                                                                                   Teaching pros can offer many of the same           USTA Colorado Associate Executive Director.

 COME EXPERIENCE

           Adult & Junior programs for all ages, abilities.
            For more information, please contact

            Miikka Keronen, Director of Tennis         Kate Karnik, Assistant General Manager
            303-469-5372                               303-460-9700 x112                                                                             www.TheRanchCC.com
            miikka@theranchcc.com
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
FALL/WINTER2017                                                                    COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                                                                   page   9

"When Paddle became POP, and adopted existing tennis infrastructure, we were able to            TAKING POP TO THE TOP
work together to bring more tennis opportunities to communities across the state. We have         Playing POP Tennis also has advantages for those who enjoy a bit more competition.
the same real estate, the same rules. We can have a symbiotic relationship where we all         Current and former professional tennis players, such as Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick,
benefit from our combined advocacy on behalf of our players."                                   John McEnroe, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, Alison Riske, Derrick Rostagno, Stevie Johnson,
                                                                                                Vinnie Van Patten and others have played POP Tennis for fun. “These top tennis players,
COLLABORATION, NOT COMPETITION, IS KEY                                                          along with everyone else who plays POP Tennis, know that POP Tennis helps improve
  As more and more public and private entitites add the 60-foot blended lines to their          your tennis game, especially hand-eye coordination, reaction time, court movement,
already existing infrastructure, the future of POP Tennis is already looking better.            groundstrokes, and volleying,” Lindner notes.
  POP Tennis on 60-foot tennis courts (or even on 36-foot courts) is the same as tennis on a
traditional 78-foot court, except that in POP Tennis, the serve is underhand and players only   COLLABORATION LEADS TO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
get one serve. All other rules and scoring are the same, as well as the strokes, footwork         “POP Tennis and the USTA chose to partner on a 60-foot court to provide an option to
and strategies.                                                                                 other short court racquet sports in the marketplace. POP Tennis is Tennis: it uses the same
  That POP Tennis utilizes the same Tennis rules and courts without modification is a real      scoring, similar stroke mechanics and footwork as tennis. Now that POP Tennis is spreading
benefit, not just to players, but to facilities especially.                                     across the US, 60-foot tennis is gaining popularity in the millennial and adult age groups,”
                                                                                                said Pham.
SATISFYING THE DEMAND                                                                             Dozens of facilities have already added blended lines to courts here in Colorado, and the
   There are those in the tennis industry that believe the recent interest in Pickleball        USTA offers 100% reimbursement grants to those facilities who get pre-approval.
indicates people are looking for a short-court alternative to tennis.                             As a result, POP Tennis has been promoted by various tennis organizations as a fun way
   "POP is the perfect short tennis game for people who have never picked up a tennis           for players of all ages to remain active and healthy, and to improve their tennis skills. “There
racquet and for those who are beginners all the way up to skilled players. And, the game        are a number of reasons why POP Tennis and the sport of tennis are such great partners,”
is an equalizer, so people of varying ability levels can play POP Tennis together and have a    Lindner says. “Maybe foremost, POP Tennis is tennis — except for the underhand serve,
great time. We believe that POP Tennis will challenge Pickleball in five years as the short-    POP Tennis and tennis have the same strokes, movement, footwork, strategies and scoring.”
court racquet sport in the US," said Pham.                                                        POP Tennis “demo kits” are available for tennis and sports facilities through POPTENNIS.
   Part of that confidence is based on POP's collaboration with the tennis industry.            com, and can be purchased locally by players at any of the Game-Set-Match, Inc. retail
   "By adopting the 60-foot court, POP can be played by everyone nearly everywhere,” said       stores (located in Centennial, Denver and Littleton), and at Gates Tennis Center in Denver.
Pham. “Traditional paddle tennis courts are slightly smaller with slightly lower nets, which
creates a somewhat different feel. The difference is negligible, but the ease of play and fun   Visit POPTennis.com for more information.
factor hasn’t changed.”                                                                                                                       3

                                                                                                                                                          © 2017. United States Tennis Association Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
FALL/WINTER 17 The Official Publication of Tennis Lovers - Amazon S3
page   10                                                                           COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                               FALL/WINTER2017

THEBUZZ
NOUNS IN THE NEWS
  PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS DOING THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.

USTA Colorado says goodbye to Waryan, Sasja
  After coming out of retirement, Kent Waryan has once again,
retired. For the past four years, Kent was a member of the USTA
Colorado league department, coordinating recreational play for
more than 40,000 players each year. Earlier this summer, Emma
Sasja, our Junior Team Tennis coordinator, took a teaching
position in Israel. USTA Colorado is currently in the process of
hiring additional staff to shore up the department in advance of the start of the 2018 season.
For more on Kent and Emma, please read The Big Chair (p29).

Hall of Fame Gala registration open soon
  Registration will soon open for the 2018 USTA Colorado Hall of Fame Gala and Annual
Awards Presentation. The event is set for Friday, February 2 at the Marriott Denver Tech
Center ballroom. This annual celebration brings the tennis community together from
across the state — and even across the country — to celebrate the accomplishments and
recognize the achievements of our Hall of Fame inductees and those honored with a USTA
Colorado annual award (p13). Registration will be online at COLORADOTENNIS.com.

2018 Big Book advertising reservations being accepted
   It’s hard to believe, but the 2018 Big Book of Colorado Tennis is just a few months away.
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to reach potential customers. More than
                                                                                                  3v3 Grand Prix wraps up season
                                                                                                    In its first year, USTA Colorado's 3v3 Grand
23,000 USTA members receive this publication directly in their mailbox, and thousands of
                                                                                                  Prix offered 14 events for youth players to try out the new 3v3 format, where match
additional copies are delivered to tennis and fitness facilities across the state where non-
                                                                                                  experience is optional, but fun is mandatory! Winners of each event are invited to
USTA members can enjoy tennis-related content. Contact Karen Engel  by December 18. The 2018 Media Kit can be downloaded under the NEWS tab
                                                                                                  Centennial. Three divisions (10s, 12s & 14s) will crown inaugural champions. Pictures
at COLORADOTENNIS.com.
                                                                                                  and details will be available through social media and at COLORADOTENNIS.com

            Don’t Let Winter Burst Your Bubble
            Come Join Us Indoors at RMTC
            • Intermountain Club of the Year
            • 5 indoor courts
            • Adult Junior and
              High Performance programs
            • Internationally Certified
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FALL/WINTER2017                                                                     COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                                                page    11

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                                                                                                                             Article courtesy of Regis Jesuit
Remembering Jack Cella, 1921-2017
  The Colorado tennis community remembers Jack Cella, who passed away in August. Jack was an inaugural member of the
Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame, inducted in 2000.                                                                                                                 ELEVATE YOUR GAME at the award winning
  Jack was just the second Colorado player to be nationally ranked in the top 10, reaching No. 7 in the 15 and under singles                                    Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs. Create the
division. From 1937 to 1939, Jack went undefeated and captured three consecutive Colorado high school state titles at the No.                                   perfect tennis and ski vacation or join the growing
1 singles position, the first player to accomplish that feat. Later, he became the first tennis player inducted into the Colorado                               sport of indoor pickleball while you are enjoying
High School Sports Hall of Fame.                                                                                                                                winter in Steamboat Springs. The Tennis Center
  Despite missing an entire decade of Colorado tournaments due to his professional status (he was a tennis professional at                                      offers youth and adult classes, drills and fun play
the Denver Country Club), Jack holds nine championship titles in the Denver City and Colorado State Opens.                                                      opportunities year round. Call us to customize a
  Jack also won eight consecutive 45 and over singles titles in the Denver City Open tennis tournament in the 1960s and 70s.                                    tennis package for your family and friends during
Jack led Regis Jesuit to state basketball titles his junior and senior years. He was named All-Conference, All-State, and All-                                  the day or in the evenings. The Tennis Center is
American.                                                                                                                                                       open from 8 am to 8 pm. Check out latest news
  Jack was 95.                                                                                                                                                  regarding upcoming events at Steamboat10s.com.

                                                                  Colorado's oldest USTA member passes
                                                                     Colorado's oldest United States Tennis Association
                                                                  member, Louise "Mim" Donner, passed away on August
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                                                                  30. She was 106. Donner was an avid tennis player, and was
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                                                                  in 2016, on the occasion of her 105th birthday.                                               select professionally managered vacation rentals. Keep
                                                                     Mim was born in Philadelphia, and moved when very                                          the family entertained with on-site pools, hot tubs, BBQ
                                                                  young with her family to Indianapolis. Always athletic                                        grills and game room. Experienced Vacation Specialists
                                                                  and outgoing, Mim competed in many sports from an                                             at Steamboat Resorts take care of all the arrangements
                                                                  early age. On January 13, 1931, as a student at Wellesley                                     from lodging and airline tickets, to car rentals or airport
                                                                  College, she won the college women's cup for her "skiing,                                     transfers to make your tennis training vacation a success.
                                                                  jumping and fancy skating". Mim competed in many golf
                                                                  tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals of the Women's US                                                               SteamboatResorts.com
                                                                  Amateur Championship twice, and was a lifelong competitive
                                                                  tennis player. Her last tennis win was at the family tennis
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page   12                                              COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                        FALL/WINTER2017

COMMUNITYACTIVATION
SUBARU, RACQUETS FOR ALL PROGRAM PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
                                  Racquet Recyling
                                  program reaches goal
                                    By the end of Q3, the 2017
                                  Racquets For All collection
                                  goal had been met! In all,
                                  thirty-five contributors had
                                  donated 623 racquets, 90 of
                                  them coming in the form of
                                  brand new youth racquets
                                  provided by longtime USTA
                                  Colorado partner, Subaru of
                                  America.
                                    The official vehicle of USTA
                                  Colorado, Subaru continues
                                  to be an important supporter
                                  of the program designed to
                                  put racquets in the hands
                                  of people who need help in
                                  order to play tennis. “Subaru
                                  dollars allowed us to purchase
                                  small-gripped new racquets           In addition to its support of the Racquets For All program, Subaru of America is a proud
                                  for older kids. Most of the          partner of the USTA Colorado Diversity Tennis events that take place every summer.
                                  donations we receive are adult
                                  racquets (with grips too large
                                  for tweens and young teens), and so this gives us the ability to better service people of all ages,” said Kristy Harris, Community
                                  Development Director for USTA Colorado.
                                    The RFA High School Challenge brought in a total of 243 racquets, with the Chatfield High School Girls team and Fossil
                                  Ridge High School Boys team collecting and donating the most racquets of all.
                                    A total of 523 racquets have been distributed to twenty-one different organizations already in 2017, and we’re always looking
                                  for new community-based groups and schools in need of equipment. A request form is available at COLORADOTENNIS.com.

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FALL/WINTER2017                                                                         COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                            page   13

ANNUALAWARDS
INTRODUCING THE 2017 RECIPIENTS

Colorado Tennis Hall of
Fame Gala honors inductees,
annual award winners
  Each year, USTA Colorado recognizes players,
administrators, facilities and volunteers who have
distinguished themselves over the course of the year.
Recipients are honored each year at the Colorado

                                                                     FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018
Tennis Hall of Fame Gala. Nominations are accepted
each year through September 15.                                                                                                     2017 ANNUAL
                                                                     MARRIOTT DENVER TECH CENTER                                   AWARD WINNERS
                                                                     5:30 PM COCKTAILS | 7:00 PM DINNER, LIVE AUCTION & PROGRAM

                                                                                                                                       ON-COURT ACHIEVEMENT
                                                                                                                                               Male Player
                                                                                                                                    Stanislav Korshunov (Centennial)
 2000
 Carol Baily, John Benson, Jack Cella, Carter & Lena Elliott,                                                                                Female Player
 Phyllis Lockwood, Sam & Sid Milstein, Margaret Rogers                                                                                Yana Ruegsegger (Lakewood)
 Phipps
 2001                                                                                                                                         Senior Player
 Joan Birkland, Sherrie Pruitt Farris, E.L. (Elmer) Griffey, Tom
 Keach, Jim Landin, Jeff Salzenstein, Kathleen Winegardner                                                                              Steve Schultz (Ft Collins)
 2002                                                                                                                                     SPORTSMANSHIP
 Anne Dyde, Rosemary Fri, Stephanie Hagan, James Loehr,
 Dorothy Mauk, M.H. "Bud" Robineau, Jake Warde                                                                                       Margaret Rogers Phipps Award
 2003                                                                                                                                    Lucy Lu (Broomfield)
 Edwin "Ned" Crow, Irwin Hoffman, Dan Luna, Mike, Gene &
 Maurice Reidy, Karen Sather                                                                                                               John Hough Award
 2004                                                                                                                                  Morgan Schilling (Littleton)
 Adolph “Ade” Butler, Carolyn Roberts Byrne, Richard Gugat,
 Fay Shwayder, Joseph Thompso
                                                                                                                                         Phyllis Lockwood Award
 2005                                                                                                                                     Ky Ecton (Ft Collins)
 Miko Ando, Arnold Brown, Chet Murphy, Jeanette Paddock,
 Willa Wolcott Condo
                                                                                                                                   Mike, Gene & Maurice Reidy Award
 2006                                                                                                                               Jack Moldenhauer (Englewood)
 Bruce Avery, Willard Douglas Corley & Willard Douglas Corley,
 Jr., Don Harker, Carlene Petersen, Bill Wright
                                                                                                                                       Charlie & Ira Brown Award
 2007                                                                                                                               Jared Foster (Colorado Springs)
 Tariq Abdul-Hamid, Ned Cooney, Sandra Elliott, Roald Flater,
 Andrea Jaeger
                                                                                                                                                SERVICE
 2008                                                                                                                                      E.L. Griffey Award
 Paula Coulter, Charlie Gates, Jr., Allen Kiel, Katie Koontz, Jeff
 Loehr                                                                                                                                 (Organization of the Year)
 2009                                                                                                                             Crestmoor Community Assoc (Denver)
 Chester Harris, Vernon John, Rhona Kaczmarczyk, Jack
 TerBorg, Becky Varnum Bucolo                                                                                                             Dorothy Mauk Award
 2010                                                                                                                                      (Media Excellence)
 Clarence Dodge, Art & John Hagan, Brenda Vlasak, Kent                                                                                  Grand Junction Sentinel
 Woodard
 2011                                                                                                                               Carter & Lena Elliott Family Award
 Cliff Buchholz, Maricaye Christenson Daniels, Scott                                                                                       (Family of the Year)
 Humphries, Alicia Salas
                                                                                                                                     Jacobson Family (Broomfield)
 2012
 Clayton Benham, Chad Harris, Warrick Jones, Victoria Palmer                                                                           Jody Riser Knudsen Award
 Heinicke
                                                                                                                                        (Volunteer of the Year)
 2013                                                                                                                                 Brett Haberstick (Nederland)
 Nicole Leimbach, Rita Price, Gil Roberts, John Whistler
                                                                                                                                            Arthur Ashe Award
 2014                                                                                                                             (Service to Under-served Populations)
 Sara Anundsen, Kelly Lovato, Cory Ross, Art Thomson
                                                                                                                                      George Tavarez (Castle Rock)
 2015                                                                                                                                      Clyde Rogers Award
 Rich Berman, Bob Curtis, Andy Potter, Susan (Mehmedbasich)
 Wright                                                                                                                              (Service to Recreational Players)
 2016                                                                                                                                  Ron Elliott (Grand Junction)
 Dave Benson, Mary Jane Metcalf Donnalley, Dennis Ralston,
 Don Willsie                                                                                                                               Bud Robineau Award
 2017                                                                                                                                 (Service to Tennis Community)
 Kellen Damico, Scott Davidoff, Nancy Rudd Popof                                                                                           John Suter (Denver)
page   14                                                                COLORADOTENNIS.com                                  FALL/WINTER2017

SPOTLIGHT
DENVER TENNIS PARK LOOKS TO AMPLIFY TENNIS FOR KIDS                                                                                  STORY BY
  PUBLIC, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BREAKS GROUND ON DENVER'S ONLY PUBLIC INDOOR FACILITY                                              TOMFASANO

                                                                                                               Denver Tennis
                                                                                                               Park collaboration
                                                                                                               moving forward
                                                                                                               After years of planning, the
                                                                                                               13-court indoor/outdoor
                                                                                                               public/private venture has
                                                                                                               broken ground on the space
                                                                                                               located between I-25 and
                                                                                                               Denver South High School.
                                                                                                        I-25   The facility will create
                                                                                                               numerous tennis opportunities
                                                                                                               for youth, especially
                                                                                                               those new to the sport.

                                                                                              south–>

   A
                  public/private collaboration with the Denver
                  Tennis Park, University of Denver and Denver
                  Public Schools will help put smiles on kids’ faces
                  and tennis racquets in their hands.
                    After three years of planning, groundbreaking
of the philanthropically funded $14.1 million youth-centered public
indoor/outdoor tennis facility near Interstate 25 and Franklin
Street at All City Stadium in Denver took place in August ($3
million of that total are for drainage improvements and $4 million
are contributions from DU). Project completion is scheduled
for October 2018. Seven indoor courts with a 6,000-square-foot
support building, six outdoor courts with room for two future
courts, a better routed, more accessible parking lot with entry and
exit lanes are all part of the project.
   “It’s such a good fit for DPS because the All City Stadium serves
all DPS schools so all of them are very experienced at getting to
this site,” said Julie Bock, director of the Denver Tennis Park.
“It’s another facility that they will all have access to. This is a
collaborative project with all of the tennis entities that are already
here. We’re not looking to put anybody out of business. We’re
looking to amplify tennis for kids, and I think in doing so we’re
going to amplify tennis for everyone.”
   Bock said she’s starting to see that there’s going to be an
incredible opportunity to serve kids who have never played a sport
of any kind at Denver’s only public indoor facility.
FALL/WINTER2017                                                                        COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                 page   15

   “They’re first-generation athletes, and that’s pretty exciting across the
board,” she said. “It should be tremendously rewarding and also a great
deal of fun to bring this to these kids.”
   An independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, the Denver Tennis
Park was created to provide youth outreach, mentoring and advanced
training programs; enhance DPS’ tennis programs and serve as the
home courts for DU’s NCAA Division I tennis teams.
   Bock said the Denver Tennis Park-owned project, which will be
122,000-plus square feet, was initially slated for City Park.
   “A handful of Denver tennis lovers realized that there was no indoor
public facility in the city and there’s no facility that’s entirely devoted
to serving kids, or has that as its main emphasis,” Bock said. “That’s
unlike a lot of other American cities that have some pretty incredible
organizations that have been at it for decades.”
   The City Park location hit some double faults when it was determined
that too many trees would have to be cut down. Enter the All City Stadium
site.
   “With the All City Stadium site, it was noted that there was a really
large unimproved parking lot sitting there and also a drainage problem
that kept about three acres of land from ever being used,” Bock said.
“Just across the highway is the University of Denver which does not have
home tennis courts for its teams.”
   Bock said serious conversations kicked off in 2014. DPS was open to the idea of having the           “The DTP is an unusual project that, not surprisingly, has taken a long time,” Bock said.
tennis facility at its site. A master site/feasibility study was conducted for a year. She said the   “We’re on school district property via a ground lease and will operate and manage the facility
feasibility study confirmed that a tennis facility would be optimal for the site and that land        independently as a not for profit dedicated to serving kids. It’s a unique, innovative public/
use, traffic, parking and noise would all be improved by virtue of doing this. The timetable          private collaboration. We’re deeply indebted to Denver Public Schools and the University of
included two votes by the Board of Education, multiple community meetings, design process,            Denver for their extraordinary commitment and to USTA Colorado and the USTA for their
a busy Denver construction market and City of Denver permitting process. Denver Tennis                guidance and enthusiasm every step of this long way.”
Park, DU and DPS negotiated lease, facility use and development agreements. Bock added
that the new facility will be constructed to pay its own bills, and a portion of the time it will
be reserved for general public usage.                                                                   For more details on the project, please visit DENVERTENNISPARK.org.

                                                                           • TENNIS, BASKETBALL & MULTI-USE COURTS
                                                                           • REPAIRS, RESURFACING & CONSTRUCTION
                                                                           • ALL COURTS, ALL SURFACES
                                                                           • ACCESSORIES & EQUIPMENT
                                                                           • FREE ESTIMATES
                                                                           • SERVING COLORADO SINCE 1970

   (303) 423-4303                                                                                                                                                 www.coatingsinc.net
page   16                                                                            COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                       FALL/WINTER2017

                                                                   THE FIVE: EPISODE H5.30
                                                                     GETTING TO KNOW THE COLORADO TENNIS COMMUNITY, FIVE FACES AT A TIME                                         KATIENEWELL

                                                                                                    unning successful tennis programs isn’t

                                                                                    R
                                                                                                    the only thing that makes Ron Steege,
                                                                                                    Director of Tennis at Greenwood Athletic
                                                                                                    and Tennis Club, stand out among those
                                                                                                    making an invaluable impact on Colorado
                                                                                                    tennis. It’s the fact that he’s willing to
                                                                                                    challenge a highly successful program to
                                                                                 see if it can be rebuilt into something even stronger.
                                                                                    Now 59, Ron’s been in the industry since 1983, getting
                                                                                 his professional start with the John Gardiner organization
                                                                                 working at various locations including Arizona, California,
                                                                                 and Florida. But it was his own entrance into tennis that is
                                                                                 the true foundation of his passion for improving the way
                                                                                 that tennis is both taught and learned.
                                                                                    Growing up in Cheyenne, Ron describes his entrée to
                                                                                 tennis at 15 as almost an accident. “Our high school was
                                                                                 all about intramural programs,” he said, “and we’d get
                                                                                 points for participating.” With a huge trophy on the line,
                                                                                 he jokes that, “I did everything I could to win it and ended
                                                                                 up getting hooked on tennis.”
                                                         presented by               In an era when young athletes had opportunities to play
                                                                                 many sports and weren’t under pressure to specialize                                         RONSTEEGE
                                                                                 in one, he appreciates what developing as an athlete
                                                                                 before becoming a strong tennis player did for him. Ron knows that tennis can lose young players to other
                                                                                 competitive opportunities, and how the continued evolution of the sport is critical to its survival in Colorado.
                                                                                    A prominent proponent of ROGY (the progression for youth tennis), Ron is adamant that all of Greenwood’s
                                                                                 teaching professionals are training to the latest method/strategies for kids, which adapts equipment and
You can find the complete history of HighFIVEs online at:                        courts to make sure young people have a more enjoyable experience and are able to play with proper
http://colorado.usta.com/cta/news/buzz/highfive                                  technique. Some recent program changes he and his team made challenged an already thriving club.
                                                                                    “I literally walked in and said we’re going to shake it up,” he said about encouraging his staff to consider
                                                                                 what a new program would look like if you could build it from the ground up.”
                                                                                    That commitment to not getting into a rut is one of the driving forces behind Ron’s success. He served
                                                                                 on the USPTA Intermountain Board, is currently on the USTA Colorado Board and is the Colorado District
                                                                                 Representative on the USTA Intermountain Board. Ron has been recognized as the Intermountain Tester of
                                                                                 the Year (four times), Intermountain Pro of the year in 2001 and Facility Manager of the Year (2006, 2008).
                                                                                    Ron’s commitment to progressing tennis through modern techniques and programs that attract young
                                                                                 athletes and keeping them engaged will have an impact for many years to come. He said that he also wants
                                                                                 young players to understand that tennis can provide a professional life for people just like it did for him.
                                                                                    “I don’t think many young people look at the sport of tennis and realize that it can be your profession,” he
                                                                                 said, adding that, “it’s a great lifestyle and I’m so blessed to have found it.”

                    n our pressure-filled world where heavily     our kids started playing more tennis competitively, we got          Describing being a ball boy as a mixed bag of emotions

        I
                    burdened schedules can sometimes              into it as well and our kids became our little coaches. Playing   including excitement and nervousness, Daniel’s favorite
                    cause families to barely check in with one    as a family is very special to us!”                               athlete at Indians Wells was up and comer Kayla Day, who
                    another, it’s a pleasure to get to know the      A sophomore at Chatfield High School, Natalia picked up a      won the both the Junior US Open and USTA Girl’s National
                    Smith family. Including parents Charles       racquet at 4, and played No. 2 singles last year. She hopes to    Championship in 2016. When asked what it means to
                    and Magdalena, and children, 15-year-old      play collegiate tennis if there’s a match with academics and      volunteer he didn’t hesitate.
                    Natalia and 12-year-old Daniel, this family   if not, she will play club tennis. Her favorite book is To Kill     “I learned that when I help make someone else better at
is committed to making the world a better place.                  a Mockingbird and her favorite subject is AP Social Studies.      something, that it makes me better as a person, as well.”
   Not only are these young people balancing academics and        She reflects on being a ball girl as a growing experience.
athletics, but they are articulate, proud of their family and        “My time at Indian Wells was an amazing,” she said.
individually dedicated to volunteering.                           When asked if any athletes stood out to her she said
   Natalia and Daniel have volunteered at the 2016 and 2017       that, “Azarenka took the time to come talk to us ball
Cinco de Mayo in which they participated in all of the tennis     kids,” said she, illustrating to her the impact that could
events, the 10th Anniversary of Diversity TennisFest at MSU       be made taking the time to acknowledge and relate to
Regency Sports Complex and down in Colorado Springs for           those around you. She also said that being a ball girl
the Rio Olympic Downtown Celebration. They were chosen            was her first volunteering experience. “It’s fun to be
as ball kids for Indian Wells, a reflection of their dependable   involved and especially to do it with family,” she said.
and responsible demeanor. In addition, they volunteered at           In the 7th grade at Falcon Bluffs, Daniel is on Team
the 2016 and 2017 Colorado State Open as ball kids and work       Colorado and hopes to play high school tennis and win
with the “Rookie Tennis” program at the Ken Caryl Ranch           state. What he loves about tennis is the opportunity to
Tennis Center.                                                    “move and think,” understanding that tennis is both a
   “We are very proud of Natalia and Daniel for their             physical and mental sport. Beyond high school, Daniel
achievements on the court as well as their actions off the        hopes to play collegiate tennis if the opportunity to
court. It is their passion and awareness for giving back that     study engineering allows both opportunities. For now
makes us overjoyed”, Magdalena said. She explained that           he’s focused on “becoming one of the top 14s and
neither she nor Charles played as kids themselves, “but as        playing and learning more.”                                                            NATALIA & DANIELSMITH
FALL/WINTER2017                                                                       COLORADOTENNIS.com                                                                                     page   17
                  he future of tennis depends on more than                        here are people you meet who live a busy life and

   T                                                               T
                  great coaches, dedicated players or a                           add in a little tennis to get some exercise, keep the
                  steady line up of leagues and tournaments.                      competitive juices flowing or add to their social lives. But
                  The future also relies on maintaining the                       for Ginger Phillips, a top–notch league player and teaching
                  integrity of the sport, which is what drives                    professional, tennis is a huge part of her life and she
                  Colorado’s own Jackie Jones. Jackie was                         wouldn’t have it any other way.
chosen as the 2017 Nicolas Powell Award winner, the                                  At 50-years-old, Ginger is still competing in the highest
most prestigious award the USTA gives to an official           division of league tennis (5.0). Recently winning the Intermountain
and celebrates that official’s contribution to grassroots      Sectionals to advance to the USTA League Tennis 18 and over National
officiating, which was presented to Jackie at the Officials    championships, she said she loves the team comradery and structure that
Award Ceremony during the US Open.                             league play offers. “I love to play league knowing it’s a guaranteed once a
   “It was a thrill to accept the award with my family         week opportunity to play great tennis. It’s organized, and I know what the
[including her 11 year-old grandson, Hayden] there.”           time commitment is going to be,” she said about being able to play while
   Introduced to the game in high school where her two         maintaining a busy teaching schedule.
options were cheerleading or tennis, Jackie’s passion for         Ginger was introduced to tennis at age 7 by her dad, Pete Cook, who
the sport was immediate. She began officiating in 1970         was a top intermountain player and played pro tennis in the 1950s. She’s
while a student at the physical education department at        been involved in many aspects of the sport over her life including being
a Texas university and went on to officiate for a long list    a teaching professional, assistant coach, high school coach, sales rep,
of local tournaments, high school and collegiate play,         tournament director, league and event coordinator, pro shop manager and
USTA local events                                                           competitor. She also met her husband, Mike, through tennis.
and professional                                                               “Mike is the BEST part of my world…tennis or not!” she
tournaments.                                                                explained of her husband.                                                                      GINGERPHILLIPS
   In her 47 years                                                             Teaching tennis is a passion for Ginger who graduated from
as an official and                                                          the University of Wyoming and quickly entered a career of tennis instruction. When asked about her teaching
referee,      she's                                                         philosophy she said it was pretty basic.
been part of a few                                                             “I always try to work with people’s strengths,“ she said, adding that while she wanted to challenge people to
notable events                                                              work on areas to improve, it would be their natural gifts she’d highlight. She also said she leaves all her players
including        the                                                        with words of advice.
Alan King Caesar                                                               “The person who hits the last ball in the court will win the match!”
Classic in Las                                                                 In terms of future goals, Ginger said she want to keep enjoying the sport as a player, as a teacher, and as student.
Vegas, women’s                                                              “I love being at the USPTA conventions,” Ginger said. “I’m a student of the game and truly enjoy learning about the
pro events at the                                                           sport as it continues to evolve.”
Manhattan Beach
Tennis Club in
California      and                                                                            or visionary Barry Riddle,

                                                                              F
the men’s pro                                                                                  bringing quality tennis to
senior event held                                                                              the Parker community is a
at the Broadmoor                                                                               passion. Barry’s been in the
Hotel in Colorado                                                                              industry for 40 years as a
Springs. While                                                                                 collegiate player, a teaching
                                                                                               professional, Head Sports
the bright lights                                    JACKIEJONES Manager, and now                   as general manager and
and notoriety of
professional play might seem more glamorous, Jackie                         majority    owner     for  the highly anticipated
loves the local tournaments the most, noting that the          Parker   Racquet     Club   set  to break    ground in late 2017
dynamics of officiating pro events can be challenging.         and  opening    in the fall of 2018.
   Officiating in her own community allows Jackie to make         Along with his wife, Suzette, a tennis professional at
a positive impact — players know they are competing in a       Greenwood      Athletic Club, his passion for getting quality
fair environment, and having a resource for line calls and     tennis  into  Parker    started over a decade ago when he
rules helps to maintain the sport's integrity.                 was   moved     to  do something      about the lack of courts
                                                               and  programming       available   for a growing Parker tennis
   “At the core of it I am passionate about helping kids
                                                               community.      They   started    Parker    Tennis LLC in 2004
                                                                                                                                                                  PARKERRACQUETCLUB
and helping adults. I’m all about education for the
athletes, coaches and parents.”                                and joined with the Town of Parker providing tennis
   Passionate about recruiting and teaching new officials,     opportunities at Railbender Tennis Park, which quickly became overburdened through double digit growth year after year.
she worries about the 20% decrease in available officials         “We knew that frustration was growing in the general public about the lack of court availability. We knew the time was right
in Colorado. Jackie acknowledges that online training is       to solve that problem and bring year-round tennis to Parker,” Barry explained.
less engaging than face-to-face interaction, and that it is       That vision to put affordable and accessible tennis into Parker will become a reality next year, the state of the art facility that
harder to find young people with the time to become an         will feature   6 indoor cushioned surface courts, 4 outdoor post tension courts, a 1,500 square foot patio, a 2,000 square foot
official in their already busy lives for relatively low pay.   Welcome     Center   with locker rooms and a lounge, a full length balcony for excellent viewing on every court, permanent court
   To attract the next generation of officials, Jackie         time,  and  a full-  suite of year round junior and adult programming.
said it’s about empowering young people to see the                This soon-to-be-realized       facility in the heart of Parker took vision, perseverance in overcoming the challenges of working
importance of helping within their tennis community.           through   a Public-Private     partnership,    and the commitment to secure the necessary financing.
   “It’s a way to give back and to do it through the great        Along  with   22 founding   members,     key staff will include; Barry Riddle as General Manager, and part owners: Steve Prosowski
sport of tennis. They will see things from a whole new         as  Director   of  Tennis,  Craig   Marshall    as Director of Junior Tennis and Paige Hiatt as Director of Financial Planning and
perspective and will be able to do something good at the       Controls.
same time.”                                                       You can learn more about the Parker Racquet Club by visiting PARKERRACQUETCLUB.com.

                                                                                    MidFirst Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks and this combination of size and private
                                                                                    ownership provides our customers with a special brand of banking. We are a strong supporter
                                                                                    of the communities we serve, investing time and money in important educational, charitable and
                                                                                    civic organizations. Our volunteerism is powered by our employees from all of the communities in
                                                                                    which we live and share with our customers. MidFirst Bank is a proud partner of USTA Colorado.
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