Category: News

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.

Important Dates and Memories

Tennis Talk

By Wendy Ferguson

Put these dates on your calendar:

Scholarship Events on April 27.

VTL end-of-season celebration on May 1.

Silver Creek Boy’s play our men on May 6.

By now you know that we raise money for the Scholarships by sponsoring the tournament and dinner, and from donations from folks like you and kind merchants in our area. But, did you know that the very first fundraiser was the Ladies of the Court calendar for 2005? One page looked like this:

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Left to right, Sally Schauer, Phyllis Mueller, Peggy Marlow, Wendy Ferguson, Jean Gillette, Anna Hewitt, and Jill MacMitchell. We had a lot of fun as the photo shows. And the fun has continued for 20 years.

News flash: Four very deserving SCHS scholars and intrepid tennis players are recipients of the Villages Tennis Club Scholarships. You can meet them at the Scholarship Dinner next Saturday night. Be sure to read their essays on the Tennis Club web site. Let me tell you a bit about their achievements. First, all of them have a 4.0 GPA; well, one has a 3.95.

Kate is majoring in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology at UC Davis. She played tennis for three years and was co-captain as a senior. She said that her tennis career was the most memorable and enjoyable experience of her high school years.

Kabir is studying Computer Science at Cornell. He played all four years, and  his best friends were members of the tennis team.

Kiana is majoring in Engineering at DeAnza. As co-captain her senior year, tennis taught her to learn and grow from mistakes and she helped foster team cooperation.

Vasanth is studying Biology at UCLA. He has played tennis for nine years. During the season, he set up a more efficient communication system for the team through Google Calendar. Let’s hope these fine young people continue a life-long pursuit of tennis as so many of us have in The Villages.

VTL standings are in, and as of this writing, Team Benz is in first place, followed by teams Olsen, Murphy, and Pennington. And it’s not all about winning; just ask the participants.

Open House Report

Tennis Talk
By Adrien Fournier

Wow!!! The 2024 Tennis Club Open House is in the books. We had a four-court extravaganza (I don’t know exactly what that word means, but it’s got “Extra” in it, and “Ganza”, which sounds like Ganja, so it’s got to be good, right?). The attendance was great with a mix of regular players along with about 15 new players, who have gone on to participate in the Jump Start Program which meets on successive Tuesday afternoons beginning April 2nd for 10 weeks at 5:00-6:00 PM. Best program ever, as so many players that have gone through it are now regulars on the courts. Thanks to our Villager “experts”, Gail & Mike Tuft, Roy Pennington and Peggy Seidel, who help you learn and improve your strokes, under the direction of Sherry Benz…who has been involved in every Open House event…like forever!

Anyway, the theme of this year’s Open house was “Tennis Olympics with a Carnival Theme”, hosted by our resident Pro, Brett Foreman. Starting on court 1, we had some basic skills which included bouncing the ball with the racket, which helps with telling your brain that the untrained arm and hand are actually longer by about a racket’s distance away. Our elderly brains don’t like this, so we moved on to bouncing the ball in the air while turning the racket over 180 degrees between bounces which exercises hand-eye coordination and racket control, oh, and cussing control. A side benefit to this is that it helps with bladder control as well. I don’t know how, I just know it does. Next was court 2, where hitting balls way above the net over a rope, re-enforced getting balls deep in the court, although some made it to the parking lot. Lots of targets were layed out which made it really fun. Court 3 was a few serving drills with more targets and tips from the Pro, who was wandering all the courts imparting game changing nuggets. Thanks, man! Court 4 featured our ball machine, “The Gordon”, and 20 Wilson demo rackets, courtesy of our longtime partner, Tennis Anywhere. Thank you! And Thanks to Roy Pennington and Ken Klein who ran that whole affair.

Oh, Oh, Oh…Last but not Least, Strawberries and Cream…Pink Cream…over sliced cake. OMG…I snuck a second. Nancy Domingo and Andrea Alvarez, our Hospitality Directors did a wonderful job and I believe for the first time, added a veggie plate to the menu. Awesome duo!!!

2024 Open House…A Huge Success!!! Jayme Dickson, who was the lead on this production, is mentioned at the very last here…so his name will stick in your head. Great Job Jayme…Thank You!

See You on the…ya know!

Brett Foreman, Art Lind (AGE: 96), Peter Groot
President Ruth Domingo Liu addressing the Crowd
The Crowd…very attentive looking!
New Rackets…
…and Old Rackets 
Court 1 Action
Court 2 action

Scholarship Tournament and Dinner

GALA 20 YEAR CELEBRATION

Villages Tennis Club Scholarships

Don’t miss out on ALL the FUN! Sign up as SEATING is LIMITED! All PROCEEDS for Scholarships!

 SATURDAY, APRIL 27

 

TOURNAMENT IN THE MORNING…

…that is a crazy-mixed-up handicapped format. Partners provided & ALL Players Welcome! Players only: Drawings for Prizes.

Can’t wait to play

 

DELICIOUS DINNER @ VINEYARD CENTER…

…with BBQ Chicken/Steak, & trimmings, Beer & Wine.
At Dinner Meet the Scholarship Winners. Enjoy Entertainment, Games and Drawings for Prizes.

I’m going to attend

 

Donate to the Scholarship

 

“No refunds for cancellations after 04/22/24.”

 

The Prescott Tournament Results

Tennis Talk
By Joy Rem and Betty Olsen
Preview of The Villager 3/29/24 publicationOur first tournament of the season, The Prescott tournament, was held on Saturday, March 16.  We had a beautiful day and 32 tennis players signed up.  We also had many spectators in the viewing stand.  They enjoyed watching the tennis while enjoying the wonderful spread provided by the hospitality committee, made up of Nancy Domingo and Andrea Alvarez.
The registration fee was a $15 donation to VMA.  We also received some extra donations from tennis club members.

The tournament ran from 9am until 1 pm.  Each player played for 2 hours with a 1 hour break in between sessions. The players were divided into two groups (grouped red and group white).  Players played 12 games, 4 games with each player in the group or 20 minutes with each partner, whichever came first.  Each player had a printed card to keep track of the games they won with each partner.  At the end of play the games were added to determine the winners.  Here are the lucky winners.:

Red group (men)

1st place:  Marty Funcell and Paul Spisar (tie)
2nd place:  Brett Foreman

Red group (women)
1st place:  Karen Hillis
2nd place:  Mitzi Macon, Lolivic Shaw and Sharon Bartells (tie)
White group(men)
1st place:  Jay Desai
2nd place:  Don Clarke
3rd place:  Randy Shaw

White group(women) – sorry no photo 🙁
1st place:  Nancy Domingo
2nd place:  Shirley Mariani
3rd place:  Tina Parsley

Prizes were awarded to the top three winners in each group. The tennis club generously donated over $700 to the VMA through this event
A special thanks to Joy Rem and Cheryl Diltz, Tournament Directors, for such a well organized Prescott Tournament.

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Tennis is in full swing for the Villages Tennis Club.  The men have registered a USTA team and would enjoy a filled viewing stand of supporters for their home matches all at 3:30pm: Sunday, March 24, Saturday, April 6, Sunday, April 14, Sunday, April 28, and Saturday, May 11. Also, the women’s USTA team has 2 home matches left:  Monday, March 25 and Monday, April 8.