Author: Adrien Fournier

Evening Men’s Action on the Courts

Tennis Talk
By Marty Funcell

WHOA….It’s HOT out there!!!

Luckily our Men’s 3.0 and 3.5 players finished their ten scheduled matches just before the heat wave.
The Villages Tennis Club is gearing up to launch a competitive Men’s COMBO 6.5 USTA team later this summer. To prepare, they organized two internal teams consisting of USTA level 3.0 and 3.5 players, each led by captains Tim Keys and Marty Funcell.The primary objective was to develop the less experienced 3.0 players under the guidance of Club Pro Brett Foreman in preparation for challenging USTA matches. Over ten scheduled match dates, the two team internal men’s 6.5 league alternated between Round Robin and 8-Point Pro-Set play formats. The improvement in play was evident, marked by extended rallies and adept strategies such as defensive lobs.

Brett coached the players to focus on getting the first serve in, returning serves away from the front player and not letting the net win the point. These efforts have significantly enhanced the team’s readiness for the upcoming competitive USTA season.

Tim’s team consisted of Clayton Krinard, Sukh Johal, Dari Tarabini, Vince Alvarez, Josh Liao, Jay Pinson and Lisi Bettencourt. Marty’s team consisted of Harry Soin, Brian Dombrowski, Yan Chen, Jayme Dickson, Venkat Prabhala, Don Clarke and Adrien Fournier. Special thanks to our super-subs Liz Kung and Michael Castle.

REMINDER:  Don’t forget to sign-up for the club’s tennis mixer on FRIDAY, JULY 19. It will be much cooler!

July Mixer Coming Up

Tennis Talk
By Peggy Seidel

Tennis Club Mixer Tournament: Friday July 19, 2024 

The Tennis Club will have its only remaining summer event on Friday July 19 until the beginning of our annual Championship Tournaments in early September. Starting at 4:15 p.m. we will start one group of up to 24 players, hopefully filling all 6 courts, and another at 5:30 p.m. with another group of 24.  We call this tournament the Mixer Tournament because we consider it a great way to “mix it up” with all available players of all levels and genders. Why? Just for fun!

The committee of Peggy Seidel, Cheryl Heusser and Sharon Bartels will work with our resident pro Brett Foreman to design a fun evening for everyone. After tennis there will be plenty of time to enjoy each others’ company while eating a yummy dinner at the TRS. Food will be provided for meat lovers as well as vegetarians. BYOB is the order of the evening, along with grilling, salads and deserts.

Sign-ups are to begin the last week of June. Please pick your time: 4:15 is expected to be more popular for retirees, 5:30 for still-working bees. Don Clarke will start sending out several emails over the next three weeks to all Tennis Club members with a Google form sign-up button. You will also be able to access the form on our tennis club website. We will keep advertising until a few days before the event, but don’t wait until the last minute! Do it early so we have plenty of time to plan all the mixups! Hope to see you there!

July Mixer Signup

Photos from the 2021 Mixer Tournament.

 

 

 

 

Bocce BBQ & a Playoff Win

Tennis Talk

By Betty Olsen

Sunday, June 9 was a big day for the Villages Tennis Club.  First the viewing stands were filled with spectators to watch our Men’s USTA 7.0 team play their first playoff match against #3 team from Hollister.  And the spectators were treated with food and drinks provided by our hospitality team of Nancy Domingo, Andrea Alvarez and their committee.

And to make it a perfect day for the villages, our team came out victorious, winning two out of three matches.  The matches started at 11:00am and concluded at 1:00pm.  Next playoff match will be against Silver Creek on  Friday, June 14 at 6:30pm.  Go Villagers!

Then there was just enough time to get ready for the club’s annual Bocce/BBQ at the new bocce courts.  Lucky it was a beautiful day to be out and about.  Lots of bocce was played and we were treated to entertainment by our villages dance group and the singing duet of Don Clarke and Lolivic Shaw.

Adrien Fournier was the M.C. and introduced Ruth Domingo Liu, our president, and her board for our official club meeting.

Marty Funcell then read a poem he wrote for the occasion of acknowledging the many volunteer hours that Brett Forman has contributed to the betterment of our tennis club and its members.  Brett was presented with the poem and a gift.

And many thanks to all of the volunteers that worked the events on this day, especially the cooks!

Frozen at the French Open

Tennis Talk

By Betty Olsen

Karen and I just returned from 2 weeks in France, first week in Normandy celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-day, and one week on a boat going down the Seine River ending in Paris.  We only had one afternoon of rain, lucky us.  The next week it rained every day for the French Open and it was freezing!

The downside was that 2nd day home Karen and I both came down with covid.  We either caught it in the airport or from some of our fellow passengers on the boat.  But we are clear now and ready to take part in the many tennis club activities coming up.

Our men’s 7.0 USTA team came in 2nd in the league and will play their first playoff match here at the villages on Sunday, June 9 at 11:00am.  And as soon as that is finished, head over to the bocce courts for our semi-annual club meeting for some bocce, dinner and entertainment.

The Jump Start program that gave free lessons for 10 weeks every Tuesday from 5:00-6:00pm concluded Tuesday, May 28.  They had approximately 15 participants with several planning on joining in the tennis club’s schedule of Open Play.  Many thanks to our volunteer club members Gail and Mike Tuft, Roy Pennington, Peggy Seidel, Sherry Benz and Barry Stein.

Coming up in July, we have our fun Mixer scheduled for Friday, July 19 in the late afternoon around 5:00pm for tennis and BBQ at the viewing stand.

We finally got the group photo from Rossmoor of our team and supporters who helped us win back the trophy in April. I am also including a photo of our undefeated #1 men’s doubles team, Brett Foreman and Clayton Krinard.

Captain Brett’s Men’s Team

Tennis Talk: The Villages Men’s 55 + 7.0 Tennis Team
By Brett Foreman

It’s celebration time!!!! Hello everyone, I hope this finds you all well. My name is Brett Foreman and I have had the privilege to captain our Villages men’s 55 + 7.0 USTA tennis team.

I am thrilled to announce that our tennis team has qualified for Playoffs with a winning record of 7-3 and a 2nd place finish! Congratulations, Men, well done! There are 4 teams competing for one spot to advance to the Sectional tournament to be held at Blackhawk. Our first playoff match is scheduled for Sunday 6/9 at home at 11:00 am on courts 2-4. It will be against Ridgemark with whom we have a 1/1 record so it should be an exciting playoff match!!! Wish us luck, but better yet, please come down to watch and cheer us on!

Check out the list of the awesome “Hall Of Framers” that contributed to our success: Don Clark, Sheng Chen, Brian Dombrowski, Adrian Fournier, Marty Funcell, Ken Keck, Clayton Krinard, Josh Liao, Steve Olson, Mike Tuft, Amit Seth, Harry Soin, Paul Spisar, Srini Sarithi and Brett Foreman. Don, Marty, Sheng and Josh have made their USTA debut. Special kudos to Sheng, Harry and Brett who have a 100% winning record. Wow! I must mention the 3.5 hour match (resulting in a win!) with myself and Adrian – everyone else was done when we finished our 1st set. Talk about perseverance!

Thanks to all of you for stepping up and playing your best to bring us to this place. We’ve experienced the Thrill of Victory as well as the Agony of Defeat! Victory is much more fun! Let’s keep it up.

VTL SEASON WRAP

Tennis Talk
By Roy Pennington and Betty Olsen

Benz Wins

The Villages Tennis League (VTL) concluded it’s spring session on May 1. With a record of five wins and four losses, the team captained by Sherry Benz was victorious in the four-team league. Sherry’s team members included Suzi Hathaway, Cheryl Heusser, Shirley Mariani, Gail Tuft, Vince Alvarez, Michael Clurman, Mike Falarski, Brett Foreman, Tim Keys, Josh Liao, Chuck Moss, and Amit Seth.

Sherry elected to not have an official team name, but the other teams dubbed her team the Benz Boozers. Some of the other names that were frequently heard around the courts are not fit for print. That’s the price winners pay.

The other three teams were captained by Roy Pennington, team 1, Betty Olsen, team 2 named Deuce, and Jim Murphy, team 3.

After eight weeks of mixed doubles, all four teams filled the courts on the last day of play. It was a warm afternoon, and the tennis was intense. At the completion of all the matches, the players gathered in the tennis viewing area and enjoyed a social gathering with potluck abundance of food. At that time, winning and losing was no longer important.

The league is looking forward to commencing play again in the fall. Registration information will be forthcoming. STAY TUNED for the VTL fall schedule.

Betty could not find photos from May 1 final VTL party, but would like to include photos from the Scholarship tournament on April 27.  Eight former scholarship winners as far back as 2008 attended the tournament and each spoke of their appreciation to the Village Tennis Club.

Mind Your Manners !!!

Tennis Talk
By Tina Parsley
Preview of The Villager May 10, 2024 publication

Tennis Etiquette Refresher

Whether you are a ‘seasoned’ tennis player or a ‘rustie’, it is always good to have a quick reminder of simple tennis etiquette, for both on and off the court:

  1. When approaching the tennis area, walk and talk quietly behind the fence and never enter a court during game play.  Always make certain to close the gate behind you upon entering and exiting.
  2. Place your equipment near or on a bench where provided. PLEASE make certain your cell phone is on MUTE or at least set to vibrate. For safety, make sure you tell a friend or family member where and at what time you are playing that day.
  3. Wear tennis clothes that have pockets to hold balls and only wear tennis shoes with soles that will not leave marks on the court.
  4. Bring only water containers with lids onto the court. Remind each other to continually hydrate between games,
  5. Arrive and leave your court at the scheduled time. When finished, clean up any trash, place retired balls in plastic bins near the net post and return score boards to their starting positions for the next players.

Rules to follow during play:

  1. The server always begins with two tennis balls, to avoid disruption of serve momentum.
  2. The server shall articulately announce the score prior to the first serve of each point. Say the score loud enough for hard of hearing seniors and give the other team chance to disagree prior to serve. If the opponent disagrees, track the points back to the last score which you both agree upon.
  3. When your ball accidentally ends up on another court, alert the players only when their play has subsided. If the ball becomes a potential hazard, make them aware of the loose ball right away.
  4. Return balls to opponents and neighboring courts in a courteous and accurate fashion, making sure the other person is ready to receive it.
  5. Never throw, drop or purposely bang your racket on the court.
  6. Do not yell, swear, shout or create a distraction for others.
  7. Do not argue line calls. The player on the side of the net where the ball drops is responsible to call lines on his/her side. The opponent must accept the call.  When unsure, the ball is ruled ‘in or fair’.
  8. Any balls on your court side of the net are your responsibility. When receiving a serve, it is your job to make sure the balls are gently returned to the server.

Tennis can be an adrenaline-filled competition, and no one expects it to be played in silence. Emotions are part of the game, but loud outbursts can be off-putting to your opponent – even if you are only yelling at yourself or your racket. Be polite and use appropriate sportsmanship conduct. Always give 100% effort whether you are winning or losing.

For me, the best parts of playing tennis in The Villages are discovering new friends who are passionate about their game, exercising with others and sharing our outdoor sun-filled courts with all the surrounding nature.
I hope you keep in mind these refresher tips on your next scheduled court time. I look forward to seeing you there!

Rossmoor, VTL, & Scholarship News

TT submitted on 4/25 for publication on 5/3.

By Wendy Ferguson

It was a beautiful day on Saturday when Villagers journeyed to Rossmoor in Walnut Creek for the annual away match between the two teams. And the good guys and gals WON! However, the results were very close, and it came down to the last hard-fought match. It was a good thing the players didn’t know that! The Villages won 11 sets to 10. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful lunch that day, an added bonus.

Meanwhile, back at home, the Villages Tennis League (VTL) is winding down. Roy Pennington writes that VTL is a mixed doubles tennis league that combines competitive, social, and sometimes humorous tennis all in one package. Due to the league structure, at times spouses can be on different teams which ordinarily presents no issues. But when they are on the same court and opposite sides of the net their relationship can be a little strained. Just ask Andrea and Vince Alvarez. While both are very good players and enjoy the game and it’s social activities, all of us (except for Andrea) recognize that Vince may be a little better. Such is not the case with their culinary skills. Vince will be the first to say that Andrea is an outstanding chef, and Vince is quick to praise Andrea and every dish she prepares. As a result, Vince has discovered that losing at tennis may be better than repeatedly facing left-overs for dinner. Vince says that after all these years he has been so lucky, and it really has been a win for him.

Did you see that the Tennis Club Scholarship landed in Sal Pizarro’s column in the Mercury News? I hope you had a chance to read it. And I also hope you had a chance to meet some of the former winners who were honored at the Scholarship Tournament last Saturday morning. That evening, four of this year’s winners talked about their hopes and aspirations. One winner asked if it was OK if he wore a suit that night. Why you ask? Well, after a brief appearance, they all dashed off to the Prom. Three of the four 2024 winners are shown here.

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Kiana Nguyễn is going to De Anza to study Engineering. Kate Duong, majoring in Biochem/Molecular Biology will attend UC Davis and Kabir Rakish is on to, you guessed it, Cornell for computer science.

The Scholarship Scoop

Tennis Talk
Wendy Ferguson

TNU! Tennis News Update: We’ve heard from many former Scholarship winners, some who won as far back as 2008. Here’s an update: after graduating from college, one is nearby as a counselor at Independence High School, another is in real estate as “Head of Product,” which must mean “Head of Houses,” a third is heading to optometry school, and two are still playing tennis weekly. Many are attending the Scholarship tournament on the 27th, where we will honor them.

Speaking of attending, you can register for upcoming Scholarship events in the comfort of your own home; just go to villagestennis.vgcc.club and sign up. There’s fun for all. Jim Ferguson says tournament entrants must be hiding out; he asks that you sign up or he’ll be twisting your arm (ouch) or banging down your door ($$$). And in plain sight, Suzi Hathaway and her crew are planning a scrumptious dinner that evening. Drawings at both events include tennis lessons by Brett, a ceramic piece by Diane Finley, and gift cards to the Bistro.

Did you know that Silver Creek High School students benefit from our scholarships? The boy’s tennis team will journey to The Villages to play our intrepid men. So stay tuned for the upcoming date (TBD) of that annual match.

Below is a photo of participants at fall match between SCHS girls and our women (and despite the overpowering number of girls, our women won).

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Yes indeed, tennis is going strong; Villages Tennis League (VTL} participants are on the courts in the afternoon and if you’re playing or spectating you know that the games are somewhat sorta competitive (SSC). The captains are doing a fine job leading their teams as well as scrounging for substitute players (SSP). You gotta love the acronyms.

Club members who want to brush up on their tennis and hone their skills should try Jump Start held Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 PM on courts 1-4. Our coaches are there to tune you up and show you how to improve. So much fun that I’m heading down there.

More fun for all: If you want some great reading and a good laugh, check out Adrien’s rip-roaring report about the Open House on the Tennis Club’s web site mentioned above.