Summer 2007 - Ventura Tennis Club

Summer 2007
Foot
Faults
& Other
Stuff...
Bob Martin
VTC President
H
ow is everyone
now that
summer is here? I see that the popularity of tennis has not diminished. In fact,
we now have so many USTA league
teams that scheduling matches and
courts has become a schizophrenic art
form; fortunately a task I have not had
to be involved with too much. Our
VTC events are always popular as well,
and I hope to see a continued increase
in participants.
M
ost of you are aware that Nelson
Emery, our locally loved tennis
coach, has “dodged a bullet” as his
doctor states. He had a broken neck
and did not know it, as hard as that is to
believe. VERY FORTUNATELY, he did not
damage his spinal cord, which could
have easily resulted in paralysis or
death. Therefore, the doctors at Cedar
Sinai Medical Center installed some
hardware to keep his neck fused
together and be assured that you will be
seeing Nelson out ors the courts once
again (assuming you have not already
seen him there).
(continued on page 3)
Ventura Tennis Club Summer
Schedule at Camino Real:
Date/Time
Event/Event Director
SAT JUL 7
2 PM
SUMMER MEN’S DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Dave Redmond 653-6130
SUN JUL 8
2 PM
SUMMER WOMEN’S DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Heidi Bensinger 320-8405
JUL 14-18
All Day
ITA SUMMER CIRCUIT
Nelson Emery 642-7652
SAT JUL 21
2 PM
MEN’S SUMMER SINGLES TOURNAMENT
Tim Waite 818.730-9773
SUN JUL 22
2 PM
WOMEN’S SUMMER SINGLES TOURNAMENT
Ericka Pinedo 443-6626
SAT JUL 28
2 PM
SUMMER MIXED DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Linda Forsyth 339-0801
SUN AUG 12
2 PM
SUMMER MIXED DOUBLES MIXER
Linda Forsyth 339-0801 / Tim Waite 818.730-9773
SAT SEP 1
ALL DAY
VTC APPRECIATION DAY
Heidi Bensinger 320-8405
SEP 8-9
All Day
VCJTA TOURNAMENT
Nelson Emery 642-7652
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change.
Please verify all tournaments/events by visiting us at
www.venturatennisclub.com.
Red: City Events
Spring Mixed Doubles Mixer
A Tribute to Mary
W
hen the VTC Board decided to make the Spring
Mixer a memorial event for Mary Eckberg, few
realized what a day it would be.
Over 55 people came out to play in or just to watch the
event–and there were smiles all around.
Over 20 members of “The Eckberg Clan” came out to
cheer on the 33 participants
Mary’s daughters (Judy and
Lori) did their Mom proud with their high level of play and cheery dispositions. Mary’s Mixed
Doubles partner for years (Van B.) came all the way out from Nevada to participate. Suffice it to
say that he played awfully well (even with the knee brace).
The rest of Mary’s family were a joy to meet... probably the finest
testimonial to a great lady.
It seemed like all of the VTC members who weren’t playing USTA
League matches were involved–whether they personally knew Mary or not. Some played well
and others weren’t all that impressed with their play. Well, it’s a Mixer. It’s supposed to be as
competitive as a glass of water.
All who were there surely agree that it was a bunch of fun. Everyone played for an hour, then
we took a break to eat, drink, socialize and be merry. Once again, Linda & Tim had obviously gone nuts at Costco: The
amount of beverages and finger foods was practically obscene.
All then returned to the courts to mix it up some more. The striking thing once again
was that laughter resounded from the courts–instead of curses or queries. Might be
one of the reasons why these here Mixers are somewhat popular.
The day ended on a candlelight vigil for Mary. The
wind was up at that point,
so we moved it into the Clubhouse and probably spilled candle
wax on the carpet. But kind words were said.
On behalf of the Eckberg Family and the Ventura Tennis Club,
may I thank all who were able to make it.
It really was a special day.
2007 VTC Board of Directors...
Your Ventura Tennis Club Board of Directors are here to help you enjoy tennis. If you
have any questions, situations or suggestions to help improve our club please feel free
to contact any of us:
President
Bob Martin
701-3182
Web Page
Dave Redmond 653-6130
Vice Pres.
Andy Hoerer
659-4507
Soc. Chair Heidi Bensinger 320-8405
Treasurer
Linda Forsyth
339-0801
Newsletter Tim Waite 818-730-9773
Retro Tournament ’07
T
he second annual VTC Retro Racket Tournament was held on May 19
at Camino. In this event (instead of the typical “Wood Racket Tournament”) players can use ANY small-head racket: Including steel, composition, aluminum, fiberglass or wood. The Wilson Jack Kramer was
popular this year, as well as the Wilson Advantage, T-2000, and the
Yamaha YFG 50 fiberglass.
This year’s music included Led Zeppelin, The
Beatles, Ramones, Cream, Dave Mason, Janis
Joplin, America, CC&R, Buddy Holly, The Big
Bopper and more. This year’s music took
players backward in time, from the late
1970’s to the early 1950’s.
There were 7 players in the singles division,
and 4 in the doubles. In singles, Nick beat
Rich for third place, and Andy beat Dave R.
6-4 in the finals. Sean, Chris, and a new member, Doug, also had thrilling
matches in the tournament, including Sean’s upset over Rich in the first round.
In doubles, Kent Bodin had a comfortable lead after the first two rounds by defeating Bob Martin & Dave Hartman, then
Ben Shaw & Dave. But it was Bob Martin who won the doubles
tournament with a 6-0 win (with Ben) over Kent & Dave, giving
him 15 games total over Kent’s 14. Wow! Great tourney! Special
thanks to all the participants for terrific effort and sportsmanship.
Lastly, a big, major thank you to:
Chelsea Hoerer– for help with music, decorations, and photography
Kent Bodin – for writing the newspaper article, and photography
Bob Martin – for providing the sound system
Dave Dike – for loaning us 25 classis retro rackets
– Andy Hoerer
Foot Faults...
O
(continued from page 1)
ne of our other beloved VTC
members, John Edwards, had a
fairly serious injury himself. He tore his
quadricep muscle on his right leg while
playing a USTA tennis match against
Spanish Hills. He had surgery in May
and will have a long recovery and
intense physical therapy, so we should
not see him playing tennis anytime soon.
I do, however, hope to see him hobbling
around and watching our events some
days. Remember this when you play
against Spanish Hills (i.e. kick their
butts!!!).
N
ow, about the foot faults. Nelson
told me a story about how he once
went up to the service line to serve and
his opponent asked what the hell was
going on. Nelson said, “Hey, if you can
step over the base line when serving,
why can’t I serve from here?”. His point
was about relativity and that a few
inches stepped in while serving is no
different than a ball being out by three
inches and you expecting your opponent
to call it in. I hope everyone tries to be
cognizant of their serves and practice
hitting aces correctly, which means from
behind the base line.
See you on the courts.
– Bob Martin
Spring Mixed Doubles Tournament
The Mixed Doubles Spring Tournament was a
major success. As always, players show up
excited and ready to get to the courts for a
warm-up. The pace is slow at first, but then
you can see players start to hammer their
shots in anticipation of a winner that will
surely come to fruition during their match.
The anxiety heightens and a few will swill a
beer to calm the nerves ever so slightly.
Each team played eight no-add games each and kept track of the number of games won.
Since there was such a large turnout, the draw was divided into two sections whereas
the winner of one section would have a play-off
with the runner-up of the other section and vise
verses. The winner of each play-off would then
battle for first and second by playing a full set.
The final match was Susie Lokker & Mark Munoz
verses Paul Villalpando & Linda Forsyth. This was
a great match that had some heated controversial
discussions. Everyone was watching in great
anticipation. After the dust settled and courteous
post-match handshakes Susie and Mark were
victorious.
I want to thank all who attended and the many volunteers who helped out. See you on
the courts.
– Bob Martin
Men’s Spring Singles Tournament
Sixteen players vied for the 2007 VTC Spring Singles crown. It began with two groups involved in spirited round-robin play that
had the crowds on their feet (actually it was people walking by with their dogs).
The semi-finals saw Nick Adair down Rich Brandon, and Ian Suwara beat Randy Guzik. Nick and Ian battled into a championship tiebreaker with Nick claiming the title. – Chuck Homstrom
Ladies Spring Singles Tournament
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon for tennis. Although many
women had other obligations–it was a big USTA League day–some of
the best were out to prove their skills at the singles game.
Watching the matches really lets a person see the diversity in playing
styles, from the casual to the hard hitting. Overheads, Aces,
Crosscourts and Volleys were used in the repertoire of game winning
moves. In this tournament, hard hitting with accuracy won over
casual.
The final results found Betty Weldon in the finalist position and
Jeanette Emerick on the winners podium (see photo).
Thanks for a great afternoon Ladies, AI Beridon – Al Beridon
Current Ladder Standings
Ladie’s Singles
1. Akemi Martin
2. Felicity Ortiz
3. Bonnie Luke
4. Lori Harris
5. Marilyn Angelo
6. Ericka Pinedo
7. Carrie Guzik
8. Natalie Rimmele
9. Heidi Bensinger
Ladie’s Doubles
1. Sera Khouvilay & Bonnie Luke
2. Felecity Ortiz & Akemi Martin
3. Jeanette Emrick & Rosa Virnig
4. Lori Harris & Sara Fox
5. Marla Burgh & Louise Hewitt
6. Siri Rochin & Allison Bruce
7. Barbara Connelly & Betty Weldon
8. Connie Gallaway & Kay Mendel
9. Ericka Pinedo & Natalie Rimmele
Men’s Doubles
1. Paul Villalpando & John Domingez
2. Leonard Young & Gary Reeder
3. Al Beridon & Joe Lujan
4. Rich Brandon & Keith Rogers
5. Bob McQuivey & Tim Waite
6. Gerry Gobuyan & Gene Gobuyan
Men’s Singles
1. Leo Huerta
2. Carl Koch
3. Joel Goldenberg
4. EC Addy
5. Dave Redmond
6. Randy Guzik
7. Duane Richardson
8. Rich Brandon
9. Chuck Holmstrom
10. Julio Cabral
11. Nick Adair
12. Tom Prinz
13. Jose Aguilar
14. Kent Bodin
15. Brian Railey
16. Barry Rothstein
17. Rick Rojo
18. Al Beridon
19. Vinh Tran
20. Keith Kropp
21. Ken Finning
22. John Benscoter
23. Mark Hancock
24. Tom Sonneman
25. Tom Powers
26. Bruce Caldwell
27. Lloyd Welder
28. Scott Ford
Mixed Doubles
1. Sara Fox & Scott Ford
2. Felecity Ortiz & John Edwards
3. Akemi Martin & Bob Martin
4. Linda Forsyth & Al Beridon
5. Ericka Pinedo & Tim Waite
6. Carrie Guzik & Randy Guzik
7. Joyce Tuttle & Gerry Gobuyan
8. Peggy Hennek & John Sepulveda
9. Marilyn Angelo & Dick Story
Hitting for the Lines...
etween the
Ojai, VTC
Tournaments and
USTA League
matches, seems
there’s been a
’Da Editor
whole lotta tennis
going on. Our VTC summer tournament
schedule looks really good: We’ve four
tournaments in five weeks, starting midJuly. Then comes our annual tennis
circus: VTC’s Ventura Appreciation Day
on September 1st.
B
So make plans. Schedule’s on the cover.
How ’Bout That Nelson?
see Bob mentioned this in his
President’s Message: One morning in
mid-May, Nelson Emery woke up a
broken neck. His brain stem and some
silly vertebrate decided to have a feud.
I
So: Neck surgery and neck re-hab. Not
fun. Fortunately, it’s been working out as
well as it can, thank God.
more fun putting on the Mixers than the
folks playing in them. Akemi, Al and
Bob run fine tournaments as well.
Many VTC Members have stepped up to
help out by sending assistance to Linda
Forsyth (VTC Treasurer Emeritus).
Linda has been passing along the
received funds to the Emery family. You
know it’s very much appreciated...
To be sure, we all have help from lots of
people when any of us runs a tourney.
I’m going to embarass Joyce–by
pointing out that she’s always at one’s
elbow to see how she can help.
It’s all annonymous. If you wish, you can
still send assistance for the Emery family
care of the Ventura Tennis Club, PO Box
3005, Ventura, CA 93006. Just write
“Emery” on your check.
Tournament Directions...
W
e all love well-run tournaments,
mixers, events, etc. Andy has the
Retro Tournament down to an absolute
science. Linda and Tim seem to have
Our club really needs help with running
tournaments. I did my first tournament
over a year ago–and you can believe
that if I can do it, you can do it.
Running a tournament? Hmmm, it’ll cost
you about two hours of your time over a
two week period before your tourney.
It’s worth your time, for sure.
We’ve even got directions for doing it.
Just contact Heidi Bensinger (page 2) to
volunteer. You’ll like it.
2006 Ventura Tennis Club
Annual Treasurer’s Report
BALANCE 1/1/2006
$4,580.77
INCOME:
Memberships (69 N 90 Ren)
Tourney Entry Fees
Bank Interest
$3,975.00
$2,039.00
$8.32
TOTAL INCOME
$6,022.32
EXPENDITURES:
Newsletters
Tournaments
Meetings
Post Office Box
VTC Tennis Balls
Gifts
VTC Banner
M.A.D.
1 Yr. Web Service & Upgrade
Postage
Endorsement Stamp
Arcadia Blue Prints
Incorporation Fees
$985.55
$1,788.56
$616.82
$40.00
$446.00
$75.00
$171.60
$397.43
$103.88
$271.45
$12.85
$101.82
$410.00
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
$5,420.96
BALANCE 12/11/2006
$5,205.87
Spring USTA League Stuff...
Sara never left a stone unturned in
helping me captain. Peggy, Joyce,
Jeannette, the entire Ortiz family,
Bonnie, Heidi, well, everybody... thank
you all.”
Margaret’s 3.0 Camino Ladies Team is a
very good team. From Ericka:
Captains Lori and Sara are thanked by
their teammates at post-season party.
S
o many VTC Members play on USTA
League teams these days. Believe it
or not, almost a third of our club plays
in USTA Leagues. The Spring League
Season witnessed some great stuff from
the 6 teams.
Captaining for the ladies were Mimi,
Lori/Sara and Margaret/Ericka. Captains
for the men were Andy, Tom and Tim.
So, of course, how’d they do?
“The team record was 9-1 and we
thought we were going to Sectionals
until we received a notice that one of
our players was disqualified. Four
matches were overturned–so we ended
up with a record of 5-5. This was a hard
lesson to learn, but we had a great run!
“We had a nice group of ladies who
were both fun and cooperative. The
team is a work in progress, and so we
were experimenting with partners and
placement. Watch us in the fall!”
The Gals
The Guys
Mimi’s Camino Real 4.0 Ladies were 3-4
this spring. Now, Mimi put together a
team of nine 4.0 players and eight 3.5
players. Of course they played teams
composed solely of 4.0 players–so they
were normally playing up. A 3-4 record
is what you call a nice showing.
Andy’s 4.0 Camino Men’s team is going
to sectionals with a 9-1 record. Some
words from Andy:
Lori’s Camino Real 3.5 Ladies (capably
assisted by Sara) played their first
season together. Lori can sum it up:
“We came in fourth... Although it felt
liked second since our team beat
Westlake, great match.
“I know I underestimated Sherwood,
found out why playing at Oakridge is
considered “cruel and unusual punishment” – and had such great teammates.
“The Men’s 4.0 team had a terrific
season... A 9-1 record and heading to
sectionals in August. The Camino team,
nicknamed “TNT,” includes Andy H.,
Bob C., Carl K., Chris G., Chuck H., Erik
B., Julio C., Marc D., Mark H ., Michael
G., Mike D., Nick A., Randy G., Rich B.,
Scott F., Sean J. and Tom C. All the
players are drawn from the “Tuesday
Night Tennis” group.
“Randy and Carl went undefeated–and
Andy, Chris, Erik, Mark H., Bob and
Julio only had one loss. Randy and
Andy–normally a doubles team–each
played singles this spring and had a
combined singles record of 10-0.
“The highlight of the season was the
Ojai match. “TNT” won 3 matches to 2,
and so secured a trip to sectionals.
“I’m so proud of our team,” remarked
captain Andy Hoerer. “We have a great
group of guys - good players, great
sportsmanship, and guys really having
fun out there. I couldn’t ask for a nicer
group to play with.”
Tom’s 3.5 Camino Men’s team were
perfect. An undefeated, 12-0 season.
Watch out, Sectionals.
One of Tom’s players commented that
it’s unusual for a team to be able to play
two fine singles players and three
wonderful doubles teams every single
week, week in and week out.
Smart man. So it is: Tom’s put together a
juggernaut with astounding stats: This
team didn’t just win, they led the league
in pretty much every category.
Tim’s 3.5 Camino Men’s team finished
up 4-8. Could’a, Should’a, Would’a
done 8-5–if the cards had fallen better.
A good team that’s just now starting to
come together.
One of the brightest spots was the
improved consistency of almost every
player on the team as the season
progressed. Not there yet as a team, but
certainly coming along.
N
ow it’s on to summer leagues.
Three teams will play in both the
Senior’s and the new Tri-Level Leagues.
If you’re interested about playing on a
League Team you can call Tim Waite at
818.730.9773 for more information.
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