The 50+ tennis experience March 2013 What is the Dow and why Tennis events should I play in it? By Bob Busch By Ken Landro, Dow Chair It is with mixed emotions that we The Senior Tennis Players Club is the largest not-for- send our best wishes to Roger profit tennis club for men and women age 50 and over Boyer on his retirement as in the United States. It was started by Jack Dow in Executive Director of InnerCity 1982. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Jack but I Tennis. His creative leadership am so thankful that he started the Club and it has over the past 19 years led to the development of the thrived for 31 years. The Club has only one big ICT youth program into what many believe is the best tournament each year and in honor of Jack, we call it in the country. He provided many seniors and other the Dow Tournament. Your opportunity for fun, volunteers with an opportunity to serve the youth in exercise, and to meet new people is some of what our community and lay the foundation for their the Dow provides. development as solid citizens. He helped in my own transition to retirement in 2000 with an invitation to This year’s round robintournament will be held on May work with the program. He attracted and retained the 6, 7, 8, and 9. We will go back to our basic categories of hundreds of volunteers necessary to deliver a high play based on current ratings (2.5 play 2.5, 3.0 play 3.0. quality program. The many examples of youth who etc). Men and women can play in a maximum of two benefited from the program through participation and events, men’s or women’s doubles and/or mixed success in high school and college programs should doubles. All players must be members of STPC. provide Roger with a high level of personal satisfaction. A knowledgeable and energetic committee is at work to See also the story about Roger on page 8. bring back the fun, treats, rewards, and good times of Australian Open the Dow that we all experienced in the past. More info and an application is in this newsletter and on our Awesome! For the past two or three years the level of website. Questions? Call me at 763-544-9757. play in men’s professional tennis among the top four players—Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Captains—please talk up the Dow with your team Nadal and Andy Murray—has been absolutely members: fun, meet new people, treats, and awards. An amazing. This year’s tournament again included many award will be made to the Captain who has the most long and hard-fought matches that left the players team members playing in this year’s tournament. exhausted and kept the fans highly focused. Novak Djokovic won his third consecutive title in Melbourne On the inside with a victory over Andy Murray 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2. Page 2: Tip from a pro—overheads (Tennis events—continued on page 5) Page 5: USTA Code on court etiquette selections by Steve Keefe Page 6: Book review of Let’s Play Upcoming events Tennis. This is a great gift for your children & grandchildren. Jack Dow Round Robin Page 7: Wheeler Smith, oldest active STPC player May 6-9. Details and signup page 11 Page 9: Roger Boyer and Senior Tennis. Your editor’s STPC Annual Celebration interview with Roger May 11, 11:00-2:30 at Town & Country Club Page 10: History of STPC—how we came to be Important! All members (not just captains) are invited. Details in April Newsletter Page 11: Info and application for Jack Dow Round Robin Senior Tennis Players Club, Inc. A nonprofit corporation, P.O. Box 5525 Tip from a pro: Hopkins, MN 55343 On the web: www.seniortennismn.com Improving our overhead Senior Tennis Times The Senior Tennis Times is published ten By Bill Stark, Reed-Sweatt pro times annually by and for the members of the Senior Tennis Players Club, Inc. Overheads are a tough shot for everybody, and Board of Directors for us seniors it can be even more so. Here are 3 President: and Clinics: things that have helped me with this shot. Richard Narjes .................. 651-728-0149 Vice President: 1. Move properly to the ball. We shouldn’t run Andreas Papanicolaou...... 612-825-8617 backwards, facing the net, but rather pivot on Secretary: Viki Kimsal ............. 651-604-0132 Treasurer: Wanda Davies ....... 612-750-8987 our left foot (if a right-hander), moving into Membership Committee: position by side-stepping. I find seniors New: Richard Brandt ........ 612-803-5786 always pay lip service to this footwork pattern but often neglect it. Renew: Ronnae Wagner .. 952-938-0374 Social chair: Ann Barten ......... 612-724-0712 2. Learn to modify the “scissor kick”. When we move and find ourselves Events & Clinics: Jon Holmgren ................... 612-702-7509 “falling back” to strike the ball, we don’t have to leave the ground like Tournaments: Gary Rother ..... 612-724-5515 Roger Federer does. Rather, as we move and fall back on our right foot Public Relations: (as a right hander) and turn our body to strike the ball, we catch Marv Schneider ................ 952-540-6419 ourselves with our left foot. This helps us cover more ground and hit Facilities coordinator: Lee Peterson .................... 952-835-4253 more smashes, yet in a manner that we can do! Try practicing this Minneapolis Area Coordinator: simple footwork pattern. Rod Johnson .................... 763-588-2107 Steve Caruso .......................... 952-942-8900 3. Give it your best effort, no matter how tiring or difficult it is. This is the Charlie Robbins ...................... 952-934-0209 most important factor, because let’s face it, hitting an overhead smash Other positions expends a lot of energy. I always ask the players that I coach, “is one Training Director: Mark Mudra ...................... 952-833-1469 point really worth all the energy spent in hitting a proper, and hence, a Training Advisor: Roger Boyer more effective overhead smash?” The answer is always yes! Board advisor: Mary Kaminski 612-781-3271 St. Paul tennis schedules: Thue Rasmussen ............. 651-917-0075 As a non-profit organization, the Senior Tennis Newsletter Editor and Webmaster David Sommer .................. 612-276-1313 Players Club gratefully accepts donations, me- Advertising Send by email or USPS to the newsletter morials and estate gifts. Please send to Senior editor by the 15th of the month for publica- Tennis Players Club, P.O. Box 5525, Hopkins, tion the following month. Please send all payments to the newsletter editor. MN 55343 . Ad rates (first month/additional months): Full page (7.5x10) ......................... $165/135 Half page (7.5x4.9) ........................... 110/85 Mission Statement Half page on back cover ................. 125/100 Quarter page (3.7x4.9) ....................... 70/50 The primary purpose of the STPC is to provide tennis Eighth page (3.7x2.4) ......................... 45/30 Business card special ......................... 30/20 playing opportunities to people 50 and older for their Horizontal strip ads: $55 first two inches; $20 mental, physical, and social well-being; and to support the each additional inch. Vertical: $75 first two inches; $25 each additional inch. growth of tennis. 2-line ad (members only), first three months free, then $5/issue. Additional lines $5/issue. Membership information changes, Newsletter Submissions newsletter delivery problems, etc., can be made by writing Senior Tennis Players To help make the newsletter as correct as possible, please sub- Club, P.O. Box 5525, Hopkins, MN 55343 or mit all items in writing only, by mail or email. The deadline is the email [email protected]. March 2013, Vol. 26, #2 15th of the month for publication the following month. All materi- Membership total: 1152 al submitted for publication is subject to editing. Enclose a self- ©2013 Senior Tennis Players Club. All addressed stamped envelope if you want materials returned. rights reserved. Send your submissions to: David Sommer, 3657 17th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Email: [email protected]. Opinions expressed in articles, letters or advertisements are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent views of the newsletter editor or the Board or officers of STPC. Page 2—Senior Tennis Times/March 2013 Mark your calendars. New Open House Tennis Mark’s corner Saturdays: two hours of tennis at Lifetime 98th street, By Mark Mudra March 9 and April 13, 2:00-4:00. Open to all STPC A life saved! Tim Jachymowski, members, all levels of players for only $7.00. You don’t owner of Public Indoor tennis, just need to be a member of Lifetime. There will be courts saved the life of a tennis player for 4.0, 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5 players. The last open house who stopped breathing on the had over 60 STPC players attending. court using a heart defibrillator. Some exciting news from Lifetime. The STPC has provided these at the indoor venues we use. Bloomington South group has grown to over 40 STPC InnerCity has handed out free first racquets to young members. Benefits include playing 7 days a week, two tennis players for years at Christmas. This year they classes, free use of a ball machine, free fitness classes, could not, but thanks to quick action by our board on a and an instructional level class. We also are in the suggestion by Jon Holmgren, we donated $500 so these process of setting up for this group an elite summer kids will receive a new first racquet for Christmas this senior league that will play Edina, Bearpath, Wayzata, year.