SCTA News – January 19
Tennis Socials
OK. You’ve wanted them. You have asked for them. They’re finally coming. Terrific Tennis. Fabulous Fun. Announcing the return of the Tennis Socials. Yes indeed. The Valentine’s Day Social Event is being planned for Sunday February 16th. The St. Patrick’s Day Social Event is being planned for Sunday March 16th. All the details are being worked out. We are looking to have noncompetitive, no Club ratings required, strictly fun round robin tennis. Using new and quite unique formats of play. Music, food, drinks. Basically a fun tennis party for SCTA members. Watch for more information in the Eblasts under Tennis Socials.
WTO Annual Trivia Night
The WTO will be holding a Trivia Night at the Pavilion on March 28, 2025 from 4:30-7:30. Money raised will go to local high schools’ tennis scholarships and other charities we sponsor such as Public Tennis Inc., and Bluffton Self Help.
Each team will consist of 4-6 people. Start planning your teams now. Come join in the fun. More information to follow.
SELF HELP FOOD FOR LOVE DRIVE ![💕]()
SPONSORED BY WTO
The Women’s Tennis Organization will be holding our 11th annual Bluffton Self Help Food for Love drive, starting Wednesday, February 6th. We will be collecting nonperishable food and personal care items at the Logo building and will have boxes set up for your donations and an envelope for cash and checks. Monetary donations allow them to purchase most needed items along with perishable items such as milk, meat, eggs, fresh produce, and vegetables.
Please make out checks to WTO.
The Bluffton Self Help van will be parked by court 5 on February 13th to load our donations from 10-noon. Donations can be brought that morning and loaded directly into the Van. This is a great opportunity for us to help fill the shelves after the holidays. Click here to view the attachment.
Mix & Match Tournament
Get ready for an engaging and competitive social tournament! The SCTA’s Mix & Match Tournament includes over 200 participants divided into 8 teams, each playing 7 doubles matches including same gender, mixed, combo and mixed combo pairings. Each player competes in 3-4 matches over 4 days and attends a team gathering. Highlights of Mix & Match include:
· A food area featuring hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, snacks, and beverages.
· Product discussions by sponsors.
· The WTO’s Match Point event, where doubles partners play one point to determine the winner.
· An HHI Pro exhibition showcasing high-level tennis performances.
· A team shirt and goodie bag containing tennis-related items.
Tournament dates: April 24-27 with the team party on April 21. The cost is $30 per player. Registration will begin February 1-15. Register early to assure your spot.
Call for Volunteers
Mix & Match needs volunteers! We are looking for non-players to help with key tasks:
· Manage grill volunteers
· Manage grill inventory
· Run the information desk
· Assist with scorekeeping
Please volunteer by contacting Donna Ryan at donnaryan0813@gmail.com.
Photos are needed
The Tennis in Sun City Facebook page is getting stale. Consider this a plea for some recent SCTA photos. Please submit them to Sandy Holz at sandyholz117@gmail.com. Thanks.
Help with Sponsors for Mix and Match
The Mix & Match Social Tournament thrives and grows every year in very large part because of sponsorships from local businesses, particularly those who rely on Sun City patronage. Dudley Kay heads up the sponsorship team. If you can lend your support to the effort, please contact Dudley, even if it is just to recommend the service people and professionals who service you and your home. Call, text, or email Dudley at 919-414-3861 or dudkay69@gmail.com. Thanks for your assistance.
World Team Tennis – 4.0 Men’s and Women’s Spring League
Announcing the Spring 2025 league for 4.0 men & women World Team Tennis. Play will be on Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Mar 6 to Apr 17. Click the link below for more information. Steve Sandike.
Spring 2025 WTT League for 4.0s
Rookie League Spring Tennis
The Spring 2025 season for the Rookie League is ongoing and we are still accepting new players to this fun group. The season runs through Sunday, May 4. The League plays every Sunday afternoon 12 Noon to 2 PM on the North side tennis courts (13, 14, and 15). Scheduled players are expected to arrive at the courts at 11:45 AM. We play two complete sets each week.
Rookie League welcomes new tennis players and players who are returning to tennis and feel they need to improve their game and/or understanding of tennis in general. It is open to all players whose rating is 2.5 or under.
Please contact Donna Baumwell, Rookie League Coordinator. New registrants will continue to be welcomed and be added to the existing players. Call me at 843-707-1946 or email me at ladyd918@aol.com.
Are You New-to-Tennis?
If you are new to tennis, or just getting back to tennis, the SCTA has a New-to-Tennis League. It offers players unrated or rated up to 2.5 a round robin group meeting every Tuesday on courts 13-15 at 2 pm year-round. No sign up involved. This group is available for men and women. If you have any questions, please contact the group coordinator, Linda Borovich at codachance80@gmail.com for more information.
Tyler’s Tennis Trivia
The question was: In which year was tennis originally introduced as an Olympic sport?
Answer: 1896.
The first correct answer was provided by Tom Plaskon. He has already opened up one of his cans of Tyler’s Famous Balls (Patent Pending) and he reports that the freshness of these balls is overwhelming. He described the scent as being somewhere between Milan’s fresh flowers in the spring, and Nonna’s homemade Lasagna. Ummmmmm. Disappointingly, Tom’s game remains about the same…..
Searching For Life’s Meaning Off the Court
“Our physical strength can be measured by what we can carry; our spiritual strength by what we can bear.”
Thanks for submitting your contributions to the blissful well being of your fellow tennis members. Please forward your favorites to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
The Next SCTA Board Meeting
The next board meeting is at the Lakehouse in the Bayside Room on Wednesday, February 5 at 6pm.
Ideas, Suggestions and Criticisms
Please forward your thoughts to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
Have a great week everyone – stay safe and warm!
It is a pleasure to serve the SCTA as its president. Thank you- Tyler
SCTA News – January 12 & January 14 Update, 2025
Please be advised:
Facilities will be closing Northside Courts 15 & 16 on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 8a – 12p to bore in the electrical line to install a water fountain in the middle walkway.
Facilities will rope off work area walkways for safety reasons while the work is being performed.
Thank you for your patience during this project.
Happy New Year Everyone
2025 is shaping up to be a truly fantastic year for tennis and our membership. The board has a boatload of very cool projects to improve and enhance the tennis experience for SCTA members. Plus lots of ideas to improve and expand existing events, while adding some new ones. We will be looking for suggestions and input, and yes, some help. Please step up when you can. Thanks.
Photos are needed
The Tennis in Sun City Facebook page is getting stale. Consider this a plea for some recent SCTA photos. Please submit them to Sandy Holz at sandyholz117@gmail.com. Thanks.
Help with Sponsors for Mix and Match
The Mix & Match Social Tournament thrives and grows every year in very large part because of sponsorships from local businesses, particularly those who rely on Sun City patronage. Dudley Kay heads up the sponsorship team. If you can lend your support to the effort, please contact Dudley, even if it is just to recommend the service people and professionals who service you and your home. Call, text, or email Dudley at 919-414-3861 or dudkay69@gmail.com. Thanks for your assistance.
World Team Tennis– 4.0 Men’s and Women’s Spring League
Announcing the Spring 2025 league for 4.0 men & women World Team Tennis. Play will be on Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Mar 6 to Apr 17. Click the link below for more information. Steve Sandike.
Spring 2025 WTT League for 4.0s
It’s Time to Sign Up for the Rookie League Spring 2025
The Spring 2025 season for the Rookie League begins on Sunday, January 12, 2025 and will end on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The League plays every Sunday afternoon 12 Noon to 2 PM on the North side tennis courts (13, 14, and 15). Scheduled players are expected to arrive at the courts at 11:45 AM. We play two (2) complete sets each week.
Rookie League welcomes new tennis players and players who are returning to tennis and feel they need to “warm up” and “re-learn some of the rules and procedures” for the game of tennis.
Rookie League is open to all players whose rating is 2.5 or under. The league does divide into teams, but the primary purpose is to provide a low competition environment in which to learn and observe the rules and regulations, but mostly to gain experience and have FUN! Players are encouraged to be supportive of each other (regardless of differences in play). Captains and the Coordinator are available each week to encourage all players and provide information.
Participating in Rookie League is a great way to meet new tennis friends! And if you know others who you believe would like to participate, please let them know!
Please contact Donna Baumwell, Rookie League Coordinator, as play begins in January. New registrants will continue to be welcomed and be added to the existing players. Call me at 843-707-1946 or email me at ladyd918@aol.com.
Are You New-to-Tennis?
If you are new to tennis, or just getting back to tennis, the SCTA has a New-to-Tennis League. It offers players unrated or rated up to 2.5 a round robin group meeting every Tuesday on courts 13-15 at 2 pm year-round. No sign up involved. This group is available for men and women. If you have any questions, please contact the group coordinator, Linda Borovich at codachance80@gmail.com for more information.
2025 Mix and Match Tournament
Mark your calendars because the dates are set. The Mix and Match Tournament kickoff party will be on Monday April 21, 2025. The tournament itself will run from April 24 through April 27. Do not miss this one.
Tyler’s Tennis Trivia
OK SCTA members. Here’s a tough question to start out the new year. Let’s see who comes up with the correct answer first.
Question: In which year was tennis originally introduced as an Olympic sport?
The first correct answer will receive either a personal course on the top 18 words you should never say in Italian, but if you do, who to say them to and when (instructor provided, author of “One Hundred Phrases That Will Get You Into or Out of Big Trouble in Italy”), or two cans of Tyler’s Famous Balls (Patent Pending). These are the new and improved 2025 balls in never before opened cans. The freshness is overwhelming. They are on the way, having left the port of Genova, having arrived directly from Milano under guard.
Searching For Life’s Meaning Off the Court
“So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped. I haven’t lost my temper. I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed; and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.”
Thanks for submitting your contributions to the blissful well being of your fellow tennis members. Please forward your favorites to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
The Next SCTA Board Meeting
Ideas, Suggestions and Criticisms
Please forward your thoughts to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
Have a great week everyone!
It is a pleasure to serve the SCTA as its president. Thank you- Tyler
SCTA News – January 5, 2025
Happy New Year Everyone
2025 is shaping up to be a truly fantastic year for tennis and our membership. The board has a boatload of very cool projects to improve and enhance the tennis experience for SCTA members. Plus lots of ideas to improve and expand existing events, while adding some new ones. We will be looking for suggestions and input, and yes, some help. Please step up when you can. Thanks.
Thank You Outgoing Board Members
Great thanks go out to the departing board members. Martha Widgen, treasurer. Carolyn Walton, events director. And Cindy Good, interim vice president. I will miss them all. Please thank them for their hard work when you see them out on the courts.
Welcome Incoming Board Members
The board is excited to welcome its newest members. Bob Durst, vice president. John Bell, treasurer. And Rich Koncicki, events director. Rich was voted onto the board this very morning (your board never stops working). Welcome aboard guys.
Now when you see these guys out on the courts, please just tell them how much fun they are going to have and how lucky they are. NO mention of what it’s like to work with Tyler…….
WTO Annual Trivia Night
The date is set. March 28, 2025. Watch for updates in future Eblasts.
The Next SCTA Board Meeting
Oh my, this meeting just keeps getting bigger and better! Michael and Donna Ryan just got back from upper Minnesota visiting family and have a great 1500 slide presentation on Ice Fishing. Amazing. And we have confirmed. Dane Petchul will be holding lessons in the back corner of the room. Book your three minute private lesson early people. Martha Widgen, to finish her career as Treasurer, will be signing copies of her new book “How to Balance Your Checkbook, and Other Fun Senior Activities.” Tyler will be bringing his air guitar and will be taking requests (heavy metal only). If there is time we will even take care of some SCTA business.
This board meeting is on Wednesday, January 8 at 6:00 pm in the Bayside Room at the Lakehouse. It will fill up fast!
WTO Sport Gear Pick-up (pre-orders only):
Jan 8, 2025 (Wednesday) 11:30 am – 12:30 pm and 1:30 – 2:30 pm @ the picnic tables near the LOGO building.
Angela Bossu Wolfe – abossuwolfe@gmail.com
Chair of the WTO
The SCTA Spring Lottery
The SCTA spring 2025 season starts Jan 13 and runs through May 25. This season will include BBTL’s USTA leagues for 55+/70+ and 65+/75+.
The lottery will be held Jan 9 at Hidden Cypress @ 6 pm. Information is available on our website: Leagues/Schedules/Forms > Lottery Guidelines & Seasonal Leagues. You can request a lottery registration file and/or identify a desire to captain a USTA team from that page, or from the Forms page (Leagues/Schedules/Forms > Sign-Up Forms), or by clicking below. – Steve Sandike
Spring 2025 Lottery Form Request
Ice Ice Baby!
The Community Association will be installing an ice machine at the Logo Building after the New Year. This is an SCTA approved budget item for 2025. The CA will acquire the ice machine and will install it at no charge. SCTA will then reimburse the CA for the cost of the machine. The drinking fountain will be removed and may be repurposed. Another example of the SCTA and the CA working together!
p.s. Yes, I had to watch the music video after I wrote this! Michael Ryan
It’s Time to Sign Up for the Rookie League Spring 2025
The Spring 2025 season for the Rookie League begins on Sunday, January 12, 2025 and will end on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The League plays every Sunday afternoon 12 Noon to 2 PM on the North side tennis courts (13, 14, and 15). Scheduled players are expected to arrive at the courts at 11:45 AM. We play two (2) complete sets each week.
Rookie League welcomes new tennis players and players who are returning to tennis and feel they need to “warm up” and “re-learn some of the rules and procedures” for the game of tennis.
Rookie League is open to all players whose rating is 2.5 or under. The league does divide into teams, but the primary purpose is to provide a low competition environment in which to learn and observe the rules and regulations, but mostly to gain experience and have FUN! Players are encouraged to be supportive of each other (regardless of differences in play). Captains and the Coordinator are available each week to encourage all players and provide information.
Participating in Rookie League is a great way to meet new tennis friends! And if you know others who you believe would like to participate, please let them know!
Please contact Donna Baumwell, Rookie League Coordinator, as play begins in January. New registrants will continue to be welcomed and be added to the existing players. Call me at 843-707-1946 or email me at ladyd918@aol.com.
SCTA Membership Directories
Updated membership directories will come out in 2025. They will include addresses. This is what the vast majority of our members want. There is not an option of having a listing without an address. If you do NOT want to have any listing at all, please contact Michael Sacks at msacks3@gmail.com.
Ratings in the online Membership Directory.
The online Membership Directory has been updated with USTA’s 2024 year end ratings. While this work was done carefully, it is possible that mistakes occurred. Please check your rating in the online directory to make sure you agree with it. Here is a link to the directory:
Online SCTA Membership Directory
These are rules that were used to apply the USTA ratings:
· If you have a USTA C (or A) Rating and a Club Rating, the higher rating of the two has been used.
· If you have a USTA C (or A) Rating and a Club Rating at the same level, the USTA Rating has been used.
· If your USTA rating has expired, your rating has been set to Self-Rated at the same level. i.e. if you had a 3.0 USTA C rating that expired, your rating has been set to 3.0 Self-Rated.
Effective Jan 1, 2025 SCTA’s new ratings policy goes into effect. Members who are Self-Rated or USTA S Rated will not qualify to play in SCTA competitive events. Even if you are not USTA rated, it might be worthwhile to visit the link above and check your rating.
If you disagree with the rating, please contact Michael Sacks msacks3@gmail.com. Don’t contact him if the rating is accurate but you think you deserve a different rating.
Are You New-to-Tennis?
If you are new to tennis, or just getting back to tennis, the SCTA has a New-to-Tennis League. It offers players unrated or rated up to 2.5 a round robin group meeting every Tuesday on courts 13-15 at 2 pm year-round. No sign up involved. This group is available for men and women. If you have any questions, please contact the group coordinator, Linda Borovich at codachance80@gmail.com for more information.
2025 Mix and Match Tournament
Mark your calendars because the dates are set. The Mix and Match Tournament kickoff party will be on Monday April 21, 2025. The tournament itself will run from April 24 through April 27. Do not miss this one.
Searching For Life’s Meaning Off the Court
“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”
Thanks for submitting your contributions to the blissful well being of your fellow tennis members. Please forward your favorites to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
Ideas, Suggestions and Criticisms
Please forward your thoughts to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
Happy New Year everyone!
It is a pleasure to serve the SCTA as its president. Thank you- Tyler
SCTA News – January 1, 2025
Happy New Year Everyone
2025 is shaping up to be a truly fantastic year for tennis and our membership. The board has a boatload of very cool projects to improve and enhance the tennis experience for SCTA members. Plus lots of ideas to improve and expand existing events, while adding some new ones. We will be looking for suggestions and input, and yes, some help. Please step up when you can. Thanks.
Thank You Outgoing Board Members
Great thanks go out to the departing board members. Martha Widgen, treasurer. Carolyn Walton, events director. And Cindy Good, interim vice president. I will miss them all. Please thank them for their hard work when you see them out on the courts.
Welcome Incoming Board Members
The board is excited to welcome its newest members. Bob Durst, vice president. John Bell, treasurer. And Rich Koncicki, events director. Rich was voted onto the board this very morning (your board never stops working). Welcome aboard guys.
Now when you see these guys out on the courts, please just tell them how much fun they are going to have and how lucky they are. NO mention of what it’s like to work with Tyler…….
The Next SCTA Board Meeting
Oh my, this meeting just keeps getting bigger and better! Michael and Donna Ryan just got back from upper Minnesota visiting family and have a great 1500 slide presentation on Ice Fishing. Amazing. And we have confirmed. Dane Petchul will be holding lessons in the back corner of the room. Book your three minute private lesson early people. Martha Widgen, to finish her career as Treasurer, will be signing copies of her new book “How to Balance Your Checkbook, and Other Fun Senior Activities.” Tyler will be bringing his air guitar and will be taking requests (heavy metal only). If there is time we will even take care of some SCTA business.
This board meeting is on Wednesday, January 8 at 6:00 pm in the Bayside Room at the Lakehouse. It will fill up fast!
Vicious Rumors
Rumors have circulated that SCTA board members were seen partying at the Pavillion’s New Year’s Eve event last night. I can assure you that this is untrue. And if it is true, their behavior was professional and appropriate. Any and all photographs to the contrary have been disproven as fake AI.
Ideas, Suggestions and Criticisms
Please forward your thoughts to tylertollstrup@aol.com.
Happy New Year everyone!
It is a pleasure to serve the SCTA as its president. Thank you- Tyler