Author: Adrien Fournier

Tennis Talk

By Betty Olsen & Tina Parsley

On Sunday, June 8, the tennis club hosted their 16th annual BBQ Bocce Bash at Gazebo Park.  The weather fully cooperated with sunny skies and 73 degrees.  Kudos to Tina Parsley and her committee for such a well-attended and organized event.  Thanks to an amazing team of volunteers including Gene Mariani, Michael Castle, Jayme and Lynn Dickson, Sonia and Harry Soin, Asra Batool and Doug Koenig, Sherry Benz, Nancy Domingo and Don Clarke for taking charge and making sure every detail was executed flawlessly.

By Sherry Benz

Celebration time! The 2025 Jump Start program ended after 10 weeks on Tuesday, June 3, with court play and a party. Jump Start was started in 2012 by Sherry Benz during her term as Tennis Club President. She wanted to provide opportunity to Villagers who vaguely remembered their tennis experience from long ago. We call them “rusties”! Well, over the years some of those rusties have become notable players on our courts. Jump Start coaching began in 2012 with Lon & Betty Olsen. Our current super-duper coaches are Gail & Mike Tuft, Peggy Seidel, and Roy Pennington with help from Barry Stein. Their contributions are invaluable and so appreciated. We couldn’t do it without them!

It is incredibly rewarding to see the improvement in skill that transpires over the weeks as well as the positive relationships that form. Two of our participants, Montse Vroman and Susan Cho participated in the Scholarship Tournament, and we expect to see them along with others at future events. As experienced tennis players, we can encourage and include these new players – they are our future!

By Betty Olsen

CONGRATULATIONS to the Village Women’s 65+ 7.0 tennis team.  They won their South Bay tennis league, they just won the NorCal Sectionals and they are going to NATIONALS in Surprise, Arizona, January 23-25, 2026!  For the non-professional, that is equivalent to going to the Super Bowl!

This is only the second time a village team has made it to the Nationals.  In 2003, the senior women’s USTA 6.0 team went to nationals (22 years ago.)  Several of the women on that team still live here in the villages, and one member of that team is a member of our 65+ 7.0. team.  This will be Julie Hawkinson’s second trip to Nationals.

 Kudos to team members:  Sharon Bartels, Sherry Benz, Cheryl Diltz, Elaine Chiu (Silver Creek), Julie Hawkinson, Liz Kung, (co-captain), Mariana Lazarovici (San Jose), Pong Lu (San Carlos), Mitzi Macon, Joy Rem, Peggy Seidel, Gail Tuft, Helen Varenkamp, and Betty Olsen (non-playing captain.)

BBQ BASH IS THE NEXT TENNIS CLUB EVENT, SUN, JUNE 8, 3:00pm – 7:00pm

Bring family and friends to our annual BBQ BASH.  Sign-up ASAP.  

Signup Here

Deadline May 31, or contact Tina Parsley, 614-937-9433 or email TinaParsley@ymail.com.

Have fun socializing, playing bocce, and eating delicious BBQ:

• Citrus Rosemary Chicken Quarters
• Pulled Pork
• Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
• Chile Corn Casserole
• Grilled Veggies
• Fresh Fruit
• Baby Green Salad
• Garlic Bread
• Beverages

Price:  $35.00 for members, $40.00 for guests, all at Gazebo Park

Bocce play………………….3:00-6:00pm

Short general meeting…..4:15pm

Dinner…………………………5:45pm

Tennis Talk

By Betty Olsen

For the past 21 years, The Villages Tennis Club has awarded scholarships to the Silver Creek High School Tennis Teams.  To qualify for a scholarship, the student must have played on the team for 2 years, have a 3.5 grade point and write a one-page essay expressing how tennis has impacted their lives.  After meeting these qualifications, their coach and administration choose the recipients: 2 boys and 2 girls to receive the scholarships.

21 years ago, the scholarships were $500.00 and this year each student received a $5,000.00 scholarship.  These photos were taken at the Silver Creek High School Awards night, Wednesday, April 30 with Gail Tuft awarding the certificates.  Three of the students will be attending our Scholarship tournament and lunch on Saturday, May 10.  Come down to the courts to meet and congratulate them.

The Jump Start program is in full swing on Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00pm.  If you want to join, call or email  Sherry Benz, 408-887-5497, sabenz@sbcglobal.net.

And the VTL will be concluded next week.  Matches still to be played are:  Saturday, May 3, Wednesday, May 7, Thursday, May 8, all at 1:30pm.

Tennis Talk
by Wendy Ferguson

To all you “New to the Tennis Club” members and to the older members like me who sometimes forget, I’d like to share a bit about the Tennis Club Scholarship that was started way back in 2004, before today’s winners were born. The recipients are graduating seniors from Silver Creek High School—just down the road from The Villages. They are tennis players, just like us, and must enroll in a post-secondary school.

I wanted a way to give back to our community, and the tennis club agreed scholarships were a great way to do just that. The first scholarships were $500 each and in the last few years they’ve increased to $4,000 each. We were able to increase the amount because of fundraising events (like the upcoming tournament) and donations from folks like you. 

So register now for the Scholarship Tournament on Saturday on May 10! You can scan the QR posted at the Viewing Stand, or click the link below. We hope you’ll add a donation and be sure to click “Submit.” 

Scholarship Signup May10th

Jim Ferguson promises that you’ll have a blast playing in this tournament where you’ll meet and play with new folks in each round. Questions? Call Jim at (408) 693-5431. An added bonus: you’ll enjoy delicious food (as usual) for both breakfast and lunch. And, participants will have a chance to win gift certificates to the Clubhouse.

Meeting new folks can also be about the “Jump Start” lessons held on Tuesdays from 5-6 PM where new and rusty players can learn and hone their tennis skills. And it can also be about playing at Rossmoor (more about that next week). 

Now for some USTA news: Our women’s 65+ team is proudly in second place and are going to play-offs next week at BayClub/Courtside, Friday, April 25 at 11:00am Winners of this match go on to regionals in the east Bay. Another proud bit of information: our men’s 55+ team is currently 5-1, and instead of hunting for Easter eggs, they’ll play a match that day.here at 4:30pm. What a way to ham it up!

Speaking of winners, the Villages Tennis League notes that the “season” has reached mid-point, and that folks have played friendly but competitive matches. Many of the matches have been decided by third set tiebreakers.

 We hope you’ll add a donation and be sure to click “Submit.” 

Jim Ferguson promises that you’ll have a blast playing in this tournament where you’ll meet and play with new folks in each round. Questions? Call Jim at (408) 693-5431. An added bonus: you’ll enjoy delicious food (as usual) for both breakfast and lunch. And, participants will have a chance to win gift certificates to the Clubhouse.

Meeting new folks can also be about the “Jump Start” lessons held on Tuesdays from 5-6 PM where new and rusty players can learn and hone their tennis skills. And it can also be about playing at Rossmoor (more about that next week). 

Now for some USTA news: Our women’s 65+ team is proudly in second place and are going to play-offs next week at BayClub/Courtside, Friday, April 25 at 11:00am Winners of this match go on to regionals in the east Bay. Another proud bit of information: our men’s 55+ team is currently 5-1, and instead of hunting for Easter eggs, they’ll play a match that day.here at 4:30pm. What a way to ham it up!

Speaking of winners, the Villages Tennis League notes that the “season” has reached mid-point, and that folks have played friendly but competitive matches. Many of the matches have been decided by third set tiebreakers.

The Villager April 18, 2025 publication
By Betty Olsen