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Summer Tennis Jam
The City of Reading hosted the first “Summer Tennis Jam” at Hampden Park Tennis Facility.   A Wimbledon flavor was added by utilizing “The Pit”, a long ago drained reservoir that has been converted into an All Purpose Turf Football Field.  Over 200 players from the Reading Tennis programs descended upon the courts and field to the melodies of popular music, enthusiastic Reading tennis staff, volunteers, parents and the vision of over 40 Quickstart nets.
Coordinated with the City Playgrounds, the Tennis Jam had Quickstart RED, ORANGE, and GREEN level competitions and provided a fun and inviting tennis atmosphere.  Also, the READING BALLERS, (advanced players) had a singles and doubles competition highlighting their abilities and hard work.  The tournament featured some of the rising stars from the program and solidified the Quickstart philosophy of Progressive Development.
The tennis community and the USTA, both who have helped provide and guide the City of Reading’s vision, have a lot to be proud of in 2009.  Matt Lubas, Athletic/Aquatic Supervisor for the City of Reading, gives special thanks to the city playgrounds for their commitment to “Tennis in the Parks”, and to the diligent city tennis staff for their energy in "using tennis to connect with our kids".

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QuickStart Tennis Workshop
QuickStart Tennis is a new format designed to help youngsters age ten and under to learn to play the game of tennis.  The new format with changes in court and racquet size as well as balls, scoring and net height changes, allows kids to have fun playing the game immediately and develop skills that emphasize the importance of play and team competition.

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Tennis Benefits…the entire community

The 17th Annual Lehigh Valley Health Network Golf & Tennis Classic was held Monday, May 18, 2009 at Saucon Valley Country Club.  Funds raised will be used to purchase equipment for LehighValley Hospital-Muhlenberg site, thus benefiting patients throughout the area.  Kudos to the EPD tennis players who participated in the fundraiser.

Thirty-two enthusiastic tennis players gathered on June 1, 2009 for a day of good tennis for a good cause.  Valley Youth House held their 24th annual Golf & Tennis Tournament at Lehigh Country Club.  At the end of a day of competitive play, Walt Keiper emerged as the Men’s winner and Lauren Edelschein was the winner on the women’s side.  Proceeds from the event go to support Valley Youth House’s programs that help homeless youth.  The agency, which believes that every child deserves a chance to develop into a healthy, productive, and responsible adult, serves 12,000 youth and families throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.

Once again, Oakmont Tennis Club in Allentown, hosted the SportsFest 2009 tennis competition which was held the weekend of July 16th – 19th.  Many area tennis players “accepted the challenge” to participate in this annual high-quality sporting event for amateur athletes which promotes sports in the Lehigh Valley by offering local athletes the chance to compete in the sport of their choice. Whether participating as a competitor or just as a spectator, a fun time was had by all.

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July 4th Tennis Fest at Sand Island Platz…on the 5th

On Sunday, July 5, 2009, tennis enthusiasts converged on the Sand Island tennis courts in Bethlehem for a fun day of round-robin tennis, fine picnic food and wonderful social fun!  Several players served as “grill meisters”.  Sand Island provided the burgers and doggies and covered dishes were provided by players. The weather was cooperative and a fun day was had by all!

One-On-One Doubles Clinic
On Saturday, July 18, 2009, Coach Ed Krass made a return visit to the Sand Island Tennis Courts in Bethlehem to present his One-On-One Doubles clinic.  Coach Krass, Nationally recognized as a Leader in Tennis Coaching, first brought his new game to the Lehigh Valley in 2007.  Coach Ed Krass, calling his program tennis with a “rock ‘n roll attitude”, provided a demonstration followed by a One-On-One doubles play.  His game is embraced by coaches all over the country as the best method to get players comfortable with the mid-court game and serve-and-volley tennis.

Junior Team Tennis Championships
USTA Junior Team Tennis is a junior recreational tennis league that helps develop individual and team skills in a fun, but competitive setting.  It consists of team practices and match play for youngsters 18 and younger.  Renee Lentz and Joe Romano, EPD Tennis Service Representatives are to be congratulated for their role in developing the Junior Team Tennis leagues within EPD. (more)

USTA League Notes
teams on to Sectionals August 28th – 30th in Princeton…USTA Adult Leagues are a fun and competitive program for men and women of various ages and ability levels.  Leagues include Adult and Mixed Adult ages 19 and over; Senior and Mixed Senior ages 50 and over and Super Senior ages 60 and over. (more)

Anyone For Tennis? …by William J. Gaydos of Orwigsburg…
So you want to hit a homerun with the bases loaded?  Try playing tennis.
So you want to strike out that batter in the 9th inning and save the game?  Try playing tennis.....(more)

Super Man Joe Leo Creates SuperTeam
CRUISE CONTROL.® is a wholesale distributor and online retailer of its own private line of sports apparel with an emphasis on tennis clothing. Cruise Control has a USTA Middle States Member Spotlight which is a showcase of members from around the section who are selfless promoters of the game of tennis.  It is designed to recognize such individuals so that their efforts do not go unnoticed.  Each member who is chosen to have the spotlight cast upon their achievements receives a complimentary gift from Cruise Control.   From that Spotlight…Joe Leo is a person who much like the USTA, strives “to promote and develop the growth of tennis”. (more)

Hamburg Tennis Tournament
The second annual Hamburg Open Tennis Tournament was held the 23rd through the 26th of July at the newly resurfaced high school courts. There were two divisions in the tournament: High School Boys and Girls, and Open Men and Women. In each division there were three events, Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.  High school players from numerous districts, including Hamburg, Fleetwood, Kutztown, Tulpehocken, Reading Holy Name, Muhlenberg, Wilson (West Lawn), Parkland, Saucon Valley, and Lancaster Country Day entered the tournament.  Lauren Zezenski of Tulpehocken won the combined girls and women's singles and Brian Jurgielewicz of Hamburg won the boys singles.  Kutztown defeated Hamburg in the High School Mixed Doubles; Saucon Valley won the Boys Doubles and in a combined girls and women's doubles division, Barb Angstadt and Lori Palubinski (mothers of Hamburg athletes) defeated the Hamburg High School team of Trish Reidenhour and Kayla Morgan.
 
The men's division was dominated by local college players with entries from Kutztown, Millersville, and Bloomsburg Universities.  Ryan Knarr of Bloomsburg won the men’s singles by defeating Tyler Reppert of Millersville.  Bill Tritt and daughter Sarah  won the Open Mixed in a close match against Brian Miller, the Fleetwood Coach, and Lauren Zezenski, the Tulpehocken star. As of this writing, the Men's Doubles final is still to be played. Bobby Zerwick of Kutztown and Tyler Reppert, former Kutztown High School teammates will go against Brian Miller, the Fleetwood Coach and Steve Simons, the Muhlenberg Coach.
 
In all, over 60 entries competed in the event which included a consolation round as well. Players and parents unanimously welcomed the opportunity for tournament competition. Bill Tritt, Hamburg Coach and Tournament Director, indicated that he is looking to increase the opportunities for play in future years for the tournament by expanding it to include different divisions and levels of play.  He will be soliciting sponsors for the tournament for next year.
 
Proceeds from the tournament will be used to purchase a message/bulletin board and storage shed for the Hamburg High School Tennis Complex.