1. sports
2. tennis

March 2015
The Advantage
A monthly publication of Towpath Tennis Center
Game On Tennis
Weekend!
Ladies and gentle‐
men ready to get their “Game On” for the up‐
coming USTA season can join us April 10 & 11, for two days of tennis, fitness and fun lead by Towpath Professionals Brian Kowell, Greg Llewellyn, Nick Laskaris and trainer, Kyle Otto! The weekend begins 6‐9 p.m. Fri‐
day. There will be 2 1/2 hours on‐court with drinks (BYOB) and appetizers to follow. The Saturday program will start at 9:15 a.m. and run till 4:45 p.m. includ‐
ing a fitness session, morning clinic, lunch, afternoon clinic and stretch/cool down session. Afterwards, players are also invited to attend an optional dinner out with the Game On participants. The “Game On” weekend cost is $219 for the two‐day program (excludes optional dinner.) The deadline to regis‐
ter is April 1, and the program is limited to 12 spots. Participants must be Tow‐
path members. Registration is first‐
come, first‐served and only secured with registration form, and $100 downpay‐
ment. There are no refunds or cancella‐
tions—only substitutions. For more in‐
formation, please call 330.928.8763. Sign up for Junior
events this month!
14 & Under Play Day Juniors! We will have a 14 & Under Play Day from 5‐9 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. The cost is $26/player. Snacks and prizes will be available. Non‐members are also welcome to at‐
tend. To sign up, call 330.928.8763. 10 & under Orange Ball Tournament: Juniors under the age of 10 can test their match play skills in our Orange Ball Tournament for beginners March 28. Play will be on a 60’ court using the or‐
ange foam balls. Play will start at 3 p.m. and end around 5 p.m. The Tournament ID is #850046315 and the entry fee is $29/player. Registration is online via TennisLink at www.usta.com. Midwest Level 3 Tournament: Towpath is hosting a Midwest Level 3 Tournament April 18‐19 for Girls 14s. Play will begin at 8 a.m. The Tournament ID is #850010215 and the entry fee is $90.80/player. Registration is online via TennisLink at www.usta.com. Special notice about upcoming
changes and future Towpath
From the desk of Dallas Aleman: There is no secret. You all know from this winter and your own experience that playing in our air structures does not compare with our courts in our tennis cen‐
ter. In the interest of having uninterrupted tennis programming and providing the best experience for our most committed members, we will be moving to a platform of scheduling all of our programming in the center. This will mean we will have some radical changes going forward. We are getting closer to the day where we will have to transition to as few as six indoor courts. The air structures are nearing the end of their useful life. I am making the decision to plan for that transition versus waiting for a disaster situation that causes hardship and confusion. This winter has dramatically shown us how costly and inefficient these struc‐
tures are. To emphasize this, the cost to heat the bubble courts is 10 times the cost of the tennis center, and results in 10 times the dissatisfaction with the conditions for you. We cannot continue to provide the level of service you should expect in those courts. We have made a commitment to rebuild our club and we have completed two phases of a four‐phase plan. The next phase was to figure out how to build a new clubhouse in a new location. We are working on that now. This is not an easy task. The analogy is for you to imagine that you rebuild your house in a different location on your lot while trying to live in it and function. With the five floods that we have had in the last 10 years, it is amazing that the air structures are still here. The main three‐court structure has gone 10 years beyond what is considered a useful life (27 years—a record in the industry). We can no longer invest money and energy in the current clubhouse and air structures. Their elevation is now a foot below the 100‐year flood demarcation. This elevation has been changed by FEMA, and rightfully so because of all the events. We have been subject to all the changes regionally when it comes to the management of storm water by cities. You all know about the major 800 million dollar project that the City of Akron has to correct combined sewage and storm water going into the Cuyahoga River. We are at the lowest elevation, and have suffered five times so far. So what do you do in a tennis match when things are not going your way? You step back, analyze and adjust, and you work on the parts of your game you can con‐
trol. In our game situation, elevation and location is paramount. With these facts and changing times clear, we have to move forward with a plan that we can control. We have a passionate and loyal family of tennis players that enjoy our conven‐
ient and beautiful location. We also have a very committed, professional, and enthu‐
siastic staff that want to make a difference in your tennis. We hope as we make changes that you want to continue to support our plans and be part of the family. We are in the refining stage of plans for the new clubhouse, and then will be adding additional courts in due time. But for now, we know this is going to be disrup‐
tive and will require a lot of adjustments. Please stay tuned as we are making ac‐
commodations to make things work for your team matches, clinics and lessons. Register for Cleveland Challenge Qualifiers!
Towpath doubles teams should sign up today to qualify for the 16th annual Cleveland Challenge! Towpath will send one doubles team in women’s 2.5‐4.0 and 8.5 combo divisions, men’s 3.0‐4.5 divisions and 9.0 Mixed. Winners of the qualifiers will compete in the Cleveland Challenge April 24 & 26. Participants must sign up with their partners and be Towpath members. Players will pay normal open court fees for qualifier matches and follow the USTA format. If you would like to register, please call 330.928.8763 or stop by the front desk. Let’s play!
March
7 •
Meet a Partner Night, 6-9 p.m. $21/player.
Towpath Tennis Center
8 •
USTA One-day Tournament Showdown, 3.5 Men and 3.0 Women’s doubles. 8
a.m. $40.28/player. ID #856409215. Deadline March 6.
2108 Akron-Peninsula Rd.
Akron, OH 44313
330/928-8763 phone
330/928-1093 fax
[email protected]
www.towpathtennis.com
14 •
Sets in the City, 6-9 p.m. $15/player
21 •
14 & under Play Day, 5–9 p.m. $26/player.
28 •
10 & under Orange Ball Tournament, BG10s, $29/player. Tournament ID:
#850046315. Register via TennisLink by March 24.
Spring USTA teams
are in full swing!
April
5 •
Easter Sunday. No seasonal reservations, drill sessions or clinics.
10-11 •
Game On Weekend, $219/player.
18-19 •
Midwest Section Level 3 Tournament, Girls 14s, $90.80 entry fee. ID#850010215.
Deadline: April 10.
24-26 •
Cuyahoga Valley Junior Open, Boys 10-14s & Girls 10-18s, FMLC, $60.70 entry
fee. ID#856423215; 10 & under ID# 850046915. Deadline: April 19.
24 & 26 •
Cleveland Challenge, details TBA.
Towpath has put together seven combo and mixed teams for this spring USTA season. Matches will start March 1. Good luck to all players and their captains! 5.5 Women, Kim Bell 6.5 Women, Chris McPhie 6.5 Men, Bill Fox 7.5 Men, George Koroshazi 6.0 Mixed 40+, Bill Fox 7.0 Mixed 18+, Michelle Fox 7.0 Mixed 18+, Vishnu Chandran Get ready for USTA summer tennis
Sign up to‐
day at the front desk for USTA summer league play. Towpath will field men’s 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 teams; and women’s 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 teams. Towpath also expects to field 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 mixed doubles teams. Match fees are $16/home or $15/away. IMPORTANT: Sign up at the front desk even though you already may have told your captain you intend to play. Having everyone sign up decreases the chances anyone will be overlooked and not placed on a team. League format for women's and men's teams is two singles matches and three doubles matches. League play for super seniors, seniors and mixed doubles is three doubles matches. Post‐season match format for women’s 2.5 teams is three courts — one Monday Tuesday Wednesday will only be offered at the 7.0 level. singles and two doubles in playoffs. All matches are best two of three sets. A match tiebreak (first to 10 by two points) will be used in lieu of a third set. This format typically takes about one and a half hours to complete. However, there is no guarantee that matches will be finished in that time. All matches will be played to completion. Captains/representatives of the team must complete a mandatory online test at www.vera.us.com, and submit a team captain waiver form and team information sheet to their league coordinator. Infor‐
mation on these obligations can be found at www.neoatl.com. Which team? Eligibility In the interest of fielding more com‐
petitive teams, each member playing USTA League Tennis will be required to register for a team at their NTRP level. Those who wish to play “up” also may register for a team one level above their current NTRP level. All players will be re‐
quired to play at least two matches at their level. Same as last year, the USTA is offering several age divisions with Adult 18 & over, Adult 40 & over, and Adult 55 & over divi‐
sions. See below for scheduled nights of play. New this year, mixed 18+ will only be offered at 6.0 & 8.0 levels. Mixed 40+ To be eligible for summer league play on a Towpath USTA team, you must: • Be 18 prior to or during the calendar year of the first league match (40 or 55 for senior divisions). • Be a Towpath member. • Have USTA membership valid through the end of the season. • Have a valid NTRP computer rating or self‐declare an accurate rating. • Be willing to attend a weekly two‐hour practice. • Be available for most matches. • Be willing to travel to away matches. Thursday Friday 2.5 Women 18 + 3.5 Women 40+ 4.0 Women 18+ 3.0 Women 18+ Saturday Sunday 6.0 Mixed 18+ Assigned for floater matches if required. 7.0 Mixed 40+ 3.5 Women 18+ 4.5 Women 40+ 5.0 Women 18+ 4.0 Women 40+ 4.5 Women 18+ 3.0 Men 18+ 3.0 Women 40+ 6.0 Women 55+ 8.0 Mixed 18+ 7.0 Women 55+ 4.0 Men 18+ 8.0 Women 55+ 4.5 Men 18+ 9.0 Women 55+ 4.5 Men 40+ 3.5 Men 18+ 3.5 Men 40+ 3.0 Men 40+ 6.0 Men 55+ 5.0 Men 18+ 9.0 Men 55+ 8.0 Men 55+ 4.0 Men 40+ 7.0 Men 55+ *All USTA matches will be scheduled in the tennis center as much as possible. Captain’s Obligation League registration Captains will receive a team number after they complete the online obligation. Team members cannot register without this number. Registration is through Ten‐
nisLink at www.usta.com. Instructions will be available from captains or at the front desk. The minimum player registration deadline is April 10, and the league begins May 11. No additions to the rosters can be added after June 30. For more informa‐
tion, please call 330.928.8763 or email [email protected].