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Category: News
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.
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).
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:
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!
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.
DELICIOUS DINNER @ VINEYARD CENTER…
…with BBQ Chicken/Steak, & trimmings, Beer & Wine.
At Dinner Meet the Scholarship Winners. Enjoy Entertainment, Games and Drawings for Prizes.
“No refunds for cancellations after 04/22/24.”
The Prescott Tournament Results
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OPEN HOUSE…It’s Happening Folks!!!
Tennis Talk
By Sherry Benz
For publication 3/21/24
The Tennis Club’s annual Open House is right around the corner, and you don’t want to miss it! Join us on the courts Tuesday, March 26th at 1:00-3:00 PM for an afternoon of exciting activity planned by our Villages Tennis Professional, Brett Foreman. He describes it as “Tennis Olympics with a Carnival Theme.” Not sure if there will be medals or stuffed animals, but you’ll have fun trying! Tennis Anywhere in Los Gatos is providing demos of some of the newest racquets for you to try and they are offering discounts on equipment. Come shod in tennis shoes for “on the court” fun. There will be prizes, games and the traditional strawberry shortcake!!! No reservations required. Questions: Contact Lolivic Shaw (Lolivicshaw02@gmail.com) or Jamie Dickson (runman001@aol.com)
Jump Start kicks off at the Tennis Club Open House. Thanks to our Villager “experts”, Gail & Mike Tuft, Roy Pennington and Peggy Seidel, who are returning to help you learn and improve your strokes. They are some of the best players in our club and have a wealth of information to share with you. Jump Start will meet on successive Tuesday afternoons beginning April 2nd for 10 weeks at 5:00-6:00 PM. Don’t have a racquet? No worry, we have racquets donated by our members and would love to give you one. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn, meet others at your playing level and … all free of cost! Questions: Call Sherry Benz (408-223-6882 or sabenz@sbcglobal.net.)
VTL is in full swing and the competition is fierce, yet friendly. The next matches will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, March 23rd, Sunday, March 24th and Thursday, March 28th. It’s fun to watch and the viewing stands has a seat for you!
Open House and Other Fun Stuff
Tennis Talk
By Sherry Benz
They say there is no “free lunch”. But, here is something fun and free for all Villagers. The Tennis Club presents our annual Open House on Tuesday, March 26th from 1:00-3:30 PM at the courts. Our Villages Tennis Professional, Brett Foreman, is planning an exciting afternoon. He describes it as “Tennis Olympics with a Carnival Theme.” Intriguing? Join in to meet the challenges he has created for us, namely drills, skills and thrills. Tennis Anywhere in Los Gatos is providing demos of some of the newest racquets for you to try and they are offering discounts on equipment. Come shod in tennis shoes for “on the court” fun. There will be prizes, games and strawberry shortcake!!! No reservations required. Questions: Call Lolavic Shaw (Lolivicshaw02@gmail.com) or Jamie Dickson (runman001@aol.com)
Jump Start kicks off at the Tennis Club Open House. Whether you are a beginner or just “rusty”, our Villager “experts” are ready to help you learn and improve your strokes. Jump Start will meet on successive Tuesday afternoons beginning April 2nd for 10 weeks at 5:00-6:00 PM. Don’t have a racquet? No worry, we have racquets donated by our members and would love to give you one. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn, meet others at your playing level and … all free of cost! Questions: Call Sherry Benz (408-223-6882 or sabenz@sbcglobal.net.)
Don’t forget … the Prescott tournament is March 16th 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM and the courts will be busy with this fun, round robin event. All registration fees and donations benefit the VMA which provides much needed services to our residents. Questions? Contact Cheryl Diltz (capecod0415@yahoo.com) or Joy Rem (jkr1787@gmail. com). Cheerleaders welcome in the stands!
The VTL (Villages Tennis League) is off to a great start. Thanks to Roy Pennington, Jim Murphy and Peggy Seidel for organizing this program. It has been such fun to be on the courts with lots of different players. If you are interested in being a sub, give Roy Pennington a call (505-410-3449 or rpenn1700@aol.com).
Betty Olsen’s 65/7.0 team is underway. Our next home match is at 10:45 on Friday, March 15th. We sure could use you support
Tiebreak Puzzle Solved
Tennis Talk
by Marty Funcell
The Villages Tennis Club uses the “Coman Tiebreak Procedure” for Set and Match tiebreaks.
In 1985 the Coman Tiebreak was designated an “experimental tiebreak” by the USTA, and in the early 2000s it was adopted for national league play. In 2004 the name was changed from the Balboa to the Coman Tiebreak in memory of Coman, a recently-deceased player who was a strong proponent of the tiebreak.
The Coman tiebreak allows all players to serve on the same side of the net as they did throughout the entire set. Therefore, a player doesn’t suddenly find him/herself serving in a condition that they were not accustomed to during the critical set or match tie-break.
Also, unlike the “Regular” tiebreak procedure, where players switch sides every 6 points, the Coman tiebreak procedure switches sides every 4 points and facilitates a fairer match since each team plays a more equal number of games on each end of the court.
COMAN SET TIEBREAK
- First to win 7 points with at least a 2-point margin wins GAME and SET
- The player whose turn it is to serve, shall serve the first point from the DEUCE court.
- After the first point, the players change sides and then players change sides after every four points (5,9,13,17, etc…)
- Each team shall serve alternately for two consecutive points starting from the ADD court after the first point.
TO BEGIN SERVING THE NEXT SET AFTER THE SET TIEBREAK
- The tiebreak game is the “service game” of the team that served the first point which means:
- The opposing team serves the first point of the next SET.
- After the last point of the tiebreaker, the teams switch sides to start the next SET
COMAN MATCH TIEBREAK The MATCH tiebreak procedure is similar to the SET tiebreak except:
- First to win 10 points with at least a 2-point margin.