Category: News

Tennis Talk
By Betty Olsen

Fall is in the air and thank goodness the election is over. 

Time to look forward to 2025.  We are looking for volunteer members for the Tennis Club officers for 2025 to help plan and organize our 2025 year.  It takes many willing volunteers to keep things running.  If you are interested in having a voice at the table, please contact Betty Olsen, betty_olsen@yahoo.com or 801-362-5591.

And this is a reminder that we are fortunate to have a tennis professional, Brett Foreman, living here and offering lessons to improve your tennis game.  

He has graciously committed to offering a tennis clinic every Thursday morning at 10:30am for all skill levels.  Just drop in. He also suggests that 4 people can arrange a time for specialized doubles strategy.  In addition, you have the opportunity to sign up for a semi-private lesson with a partner or perhaps a private lesson for a good workout and a few tips on how to improve your strokes.  Now is the time for your New Year’s Resolution to improve your tennis skill.

And don’t forget our Tennis Club Holiday party “Christmas in Hawaii” on Sunday, Dec. 8.  You don’t want to miss it.  

Click Here to Register

 

…and just for fun…some smiling faces…

Tennis Talk
By Tim Keys

The Villages Men’s USTA 6.5 tennis team captured a nice win over Almaden Valley Athletic Club this past Sunday, October 20, with the highlight entailing a smashing victory for Lisi Bettencourt and Steve Olson playing in Line 2. They dominated a win 6-2, 6-2 in Lisi’s second ever USTA match! And another highlight in a smashing victory came with a 6-0, 6-1 by pair Josh Liao and Paul Spisar!

Saturday’s match, October 26, the 6.5 team played the first place team for a second time but came up short.  Sunday, October 27, the Villages played Almaden Swim and Raquet club, battled hard, but came up short.  Steve Olson and Brian Dombrowski played late into the evening on a heartbreaking tie-break loss.

Saturday, November 2, our team will play its final game of the league season here at the Villages at 3:30 p.m. Come down and cheer on your Villagers to an exciting victory with lots of food and high-fives at the end.

It is time to select next year’s tennis club officers. If you would like to help organize club activities for 2025, please contact Betty Olsen, 801-361-5591 or email betty_olsen@yahoo.com.

In addition, please save the date of Sunday, December 8 for our tennis club’s holiday party titled “Christmas in Hawaii.” You won’t want to miss the performance of the Sunshine Dance Club! DJ Chris Campos formerly of 94.5 will provide the music.

Yes, the days are getting noticeably shorter! As has been our habit the past few years, we will change the starting hour for Open Play tennis (courts 5 & 6) on Mondays and Fridays from 4:30 to 3 pm starting November 4 on courts 5 and 6. This will be the start time until the daylight savings time clock changes again in March 2025. Peggy Seidel will still be attending most sessions to help people to improve their games by pairing up with different levels of playing partners. All comers are welcome, not just worker bees! This time change also applies to Open Play which has been scheduled for Thursdays on courts 3 and 4 with Nancy Domingo as director. Because of her work commitments she will not be able to participate during the earlier period through the winter. Regulars who have gotten used to playing on Thursday and whose work hours permit can still attend these sessions to find others to play with without having to schedule the courts for themselves and specified partners. We look forward to seeing you on the courts! Tennis from November-March is much cooler! – Peggy Seidel

Tennis Talk
by Tim Keys

New Tennis Club Members. Fantastic enthusiasm.  Pro and legendary coaching. Practices, drills. Tournaments. Leagues. Oh my! That adds up to a LOT of competitive FUN!  This is the only way to develop a great tennis player. More often than not, as with golfing, tennis development starts with saying the words, “I’m in”.  In The Villages tennis community, the I’m in’s are continually developing. Just as soon as the pandemic lifted I said I’m in, walked into a tennis club Open House and subsequent Jumpstart program with my long basketball shorts and basketball shoes and a 30 year old aluminum racket? Why? Because there is no basketball here at The Villages, but I still wanted to play an active sport. Hardly a match played in my life, I knew NOTHING about tennis.

At a bump over sixty, here I am developing what I had believed was a young athlete’s sport. At Open House Peggy Siedel, Sharon Benz, and Betty Olsen talked to a BIG group of new tennis club players for a few minutes, then they introduced Villager pro Brett Foreman to the new club members. I can’t remember all he spoke about, but what I do remember was his words “I’ve played with them all, the best and the beginners.  I’ve coached them all, the best and the beginners”.  Really?  Then if I hadn’t cemented my “I’m all in”, then it was done right there on the spot! If a pro is going to take time with me, then he’s got to be REALLY patient.

I began with taking lessons from Brett, going and swinging my racket at Jumpstart gatherings with big names like Mike Tuft, Gail Tuft, Roy Pennington, Peggy Siedel, Sharon Benz and others, oh my!  The talent blew my mind.  These players are REALLY good. Lolivic Shaw would call wanting me in a match (she’s a USTA rated player and I wasn’t) and I accepted her challenges. Then I started playing in Villages tournaments and matches with so many Villagers.  Matches, practices, lessons, enthusiasm, more practices, more matches, you get the picture. Now, with the support of ALL the tennis club players I’m hoping the wave from basketball to tennis.  But one thing was still missing, the competitive level play (for myself and many new tennis club members) with outside USTA ranked players.

So in the spring of this year I gathered the help of assistant coach Marty Funcell and Brett Foreman to start a new Villager USTA 6.5 team so that us young (to tennis) players could begin play in nationally ranked matches. Off to a new start we put together a long summer of Round Robin Matches for training our new team, the first of its kind at the Villages.  It was the missing gap in the USTA challenge matches the Villages often fields every year, as the competitive mix of club members now engages youths (that’s us!) at various levels.

The Villages new Men’s 6.5 team is now a vision come true, as we are currently in the upper standings of our current USTA league! The team players are currently enjoying a new venue, and some have joined the competitive matches for their first time ever with this new team!  As an example of our high level of play, new tennis club player Jayme Dickson last week entered his second ever nationally ranked match, and played head-to-toe against an opponent who has played over 600 nationally ranked matches!  He very nearly came away with a victory in the Tiebreaker!  That is an incredible feat Jayme! Kudos to you.

Come and join the Villages Tennis Club, as you will enjoy many great matches and you will most definitely meet a large group of really nice tennis players who will be guaranteed to play at your level! You will have all the support you need to exceed your own expectations in your new game!

6.5 village USTA match against Morgan Hill held on October 11th. L-R: Josh Liao, Jayme Dickson, Steve Olson, Harry Soin, Brian Dombroski, Adrien Fournier

[editor: We lost to Morgan Hill and are now 3-3…and kick’n]

Tennis Talk
By Betty Olsen

Well,… we certainly dodged a bullet with the weather, since 2 days after the finals of the Mixed Doubles club tournament the temperature moved up 10 degrees to be in the high 90s!  The weather for the tournament was perfect and both the A and B mixed draws were full for the first time in my 6 years as tournament director.  Well done everyone!

We had many compelling matches to watch as every team had 3 matches to play, 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday.  The viewing stands were full of spectators, both to watch the tennis but also to have some of the delicious food Nancy Domingo and Andrea Alvarez provided.  They always seem to make it a party.  The Mixed Doubles results:

Mixed Doubles A – Peggy Seidel and Amit Seth – 1^st place, Phyllis Seeger and Steve Olson – 2^nd place, Gail and Mike Tuft – 3^rd place,  Liz Kung and Sheng Chen – consolation winner, Cheryl Diltz and Roy Pennington – consolation runner-up.

Mixed Doubles B – Lolivic and Randy Shaw – 1^st place, Lynn and Jayme Dickson – 2^nd place, Cheryl Heusser and Marty Funcell – 3^rd place, Tina Parsley and Jay Desai – consolation winner, Carrie Yasukawa and Peter Tsuedo – runner-up

Following the finals, many of us went to the Bay Club on Winchester to cheer on our Men’s Villager 6.5 team.  And they pulled off a win Again!!  Now 3 and 1.  The next home match is Sunday, October 6 at 12:30pm.  Come cheer!

And put on your calendar,  Saturday, October 19, 9am to watch Villages vs Rossmoor.

Viewing stand on hill in front of clubhouse 1988-1990 Behind the viewing benches is where the snacks were served. Behind that is where the road is now and the clubhouse. (That's me (Betty) - front row, 2nd from left).

The current viewing stand. Thanks Betty

Tennis Talk
By Betty Olsen

Hopefully you have registered for our Tennis Club Awards dinner at Foothill on Sunday, October 6 at 5:30pm.  We have a catered Italian dinner planned to celebrate the players of our recent club tournament.
 

Awards Banquet Registration
 

The 6.5 men’s USTA team is currently 3 wins and 1 loss.  Tim Keys, Marty Funcell and Jayme Dickson are spearheading the organization.  Their last match at the villages was Saturday, September 21, enjoying a large crowd in the viewing stand cheering them on.  And they came away with a win!  This is the first time the villages have fielded a 6.5 men’s team.  Next home match is Sunday, October 6 at 12:30pm.  Come cheer!

Also, the semi-annual Rossmoor tournament is scheduled for Saturday, October 19 starting at 9:00am.  Be in the stands and cheer on your Village team.

Mixed Doubles Finalists in Sections A & B

Amit Seth, Peggy Seidel, Phyllis Seeger, Steve Olson

To celebrate all our Villages tennis skills displayed in our Fall Doubles and Mixed Doubles Tournament, we have planned the Awards banquet for Sunday, October 6 at Foothill. 

AWARDS DINNER SIGNUP

Villages Tennis: Men’s 6.5 USTA News