October 16, 2006
Ladder Match Rules
BTC Ladder Match Rules
1. All matches will consist of a 9 game pro set. First to win 9 games is the winner and a tiebreaker at 8-8. No ad scoring will be used.
2. The tiebreaker will be at a 9-point format, first to win 5 points. If the tiebreaker gets to 4-4, then the next point wins.
3. Good sportsmanship will be displayed at all times. Anyone not cooperating will be removed from the ladder. Sportsmanship includes accurate line calls, good temperament, and overall appropriate tennis etiquette.
4. Unfortunately, time is a factor in these matches. At 5 minutes before the hour players must be aware of the time. Do not start any new games after this point.
5. The winning player will be responsible for reporting scares to the front desk. A score sheet will be provided.
6. Many times players are finished before the allotted time. In this case, we strongly encourage players to continue playing or just hitting. Although the extra play wont count towards the ladder, it is good practice.
Good luck to all players.
Junior Ladder
BTC Jr. Ladder 2006
Welcome all new and returning players to the 2006 BTC Jr. Ladder. This year the ladder is divided into three groups: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Again this year matches will be played on Saturdays when court time is available. Matches are mainly scheduled at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 on Saturday evenings. Occasionally, other times will be available on Sunday mornings.
The cost for a match is $10 per player per match. Players are to sign up by THURSDAY NIGHT at 6:30 prior to the weekend they want to play. Sign ups can be done in person or over the phone. There will be a sign up sheet at the front desk every week. Players will be called on Fridays to be given their match time. If any player does sign up to play and does not show up for their match, they will be charged the $10.
The ladder will consist of regular season matches followed by a tournament for those that qualify. Regular season matches will be played from September 16th to December 2nd and on December 9th the tournament will begin. See attached sheet for rules of play.
October 14, 2006
Web site update
We are currently working on a new and improved look to our web site. We hope to be able to get a "tennis forum" started where we post not just local and BTC related news but tennis columns with general tennis information and articles that you may post comments and questions to.
We do welcome comments like the one Stu Post just posted on our Parent/Junior Seminar report. Thanks and stay tuned
November junior tournament
Applications are now available for our upcoming Level 11 ETA junior tournament November 17-19. Events include boy's & girls 12, 14, 16 * 18 & under singles.
Entry deadine is Sunday November 5 at 5pm. To enter online: Click Here or you may pick up an entry blank at the club. Draws and starting times will be posted online on the USTA/Eastern website. Times will be available Thursday, November 9. If you click on the above entry link it will guide you to the USTA site which list start times, entrants, draws and updated tournament results once the tournament begins.
We encourage all of our BTC juniors to enter. We run consolation matches for all 1st round local losers. This is a great event to test the waters of ETA competition and ready yourselfs for the upcoming Western Region Junior Circuit which begins in January of 2007!
October 13, 2006
Parent/Junior Seminar meeting report
On Wednesday, October 11 we have over 30 parents and juniors attend our first ever Parent/Junior Seminar. Our speakers included staff members Libby McGovern, who walked down memory lane with "My playing experience and career reflections" Billy Mendler who enlightened us about "how to prepare for a tournament", Collin Crawford who presented "Getting the most of out junior and parents", and guest speaker Dave Constantine, who gave us great insights on his daughters tennis upbringing with "Tennis Parenting, Our Story." Michael Starke then followed up outlaying a general guideline for junior and parents and unveiled the new Western Region Junior Circuit that will start here in January of 2007.
While we were not able to cover all of the material planned, all in all, a lot of good information was disseminated, good questions were fielded, and there appears to be some genuine interest and enthusiasm from many of our juniors. The seminar lasted over two hours, and we thank those in attendance for their patience and interest.
I believe some of the main themes and messages of the seminar are:
• Match play is needed to get better; tournaments are a must
• Advance planning, a commitment and consistent hard work are key
• Use of odd hour court time, ball machine and semi private or group lessons instead of just private lessons can help
• We now run a full season ladder every Saturday 4-7pm, open to boys and girls. One can play a ladder match every week
• We run monthly travel team matches with Birchwood Fitness the 1st Saturday of every month, with four kids playing here, four kids traveling to Birchwood. Sign-up will be at the desk and at JCTP
• A new Western Circuit was announced, consisting of eleven Level 11 & Level 1 events in upstate NY. BTC will host two of these events. We strongly advise our juniors to compete on this circuit.
• We will as a group, travel to two of these tournaments next winter/spring with 8-12 juniors
• Entry blanks were passed out for our two upcoming junior tournaments, Nov 17-19 & Jan 19-21.
• Seminar packets are available at the desk for those who could not attend our parent junior seminar
I mentioned to a few parents about some websites and additional literature regarding parent/junior tennis. Here they are:
• www.racquetclub1.com/parent's_guide_to_junior_tennis.htm
• http://dps.usta.com/usta_master/usta/doc/content/doc_437_4.pdf#search=%22uSTA%20Parents%20Guide%22
• “Raising Big Smiling Tennis Kids” by Keith Kattan
• “Parents Guide to Junior Tennis” by Rusty Schubert
October 12, 2006
Fall Pro Shop
Fall News
If you haven't had a chance to stop in our BTC Pro Shop, make sure to stop in soon! We have lots of new things to check out!
If you're in need of new Tennis Shoes for the season, we have many to choose from. Wilson or Prince are the brands we feel are the best in the tennis industry. They are Tennis specific companies that have the Tennis players in mind.
Now here for Men and Women in select sizes are the Wilson Tour Shoes
The Wilson Tour with supreme lightweight comfort and stability is one of Wilson's best selling shoes
New colors coming this January!
Coming This month from Prince, two new lines of M Series Shoes for Men and Women!
The MV4 & MC4 Freature a four-piece midsole with Precision Tube Technology. The M Series performance tennis shoes allow you to selecct a specific performance characteristic
MV4 has maximum ventilation with AirMesh panels and medium density Precision Tube Technology for balanced performance.
MC4 has maximum cushioning with breathable sythetic leather upper for comfort and softer density Precision Tube Technology for maximum cushioning
We have a variety of many great racquets to choose from if you are ready for that new racquet, just to update you on a few new arrivals:
New Prince O3 Hybrid Spectrum
At 10.1oz, the Spectrum MP is a great racquet with a blend of power and control for all around players!
New Prince O3 Hybrid Tour
The New O3 Tour features O-ports at 3 and 9 o'clock which increases the racquet head speed and provides more spin and power for the advanced player
New Wilson n2
The n2 is a power racquet at 9.4 oz with an XL for bigger sweet spot, Double Hole Technology and Iso-Zorb grommets for quiet and soft feel!
Head Airflow racquets, for women only
The new women only racquets from Head are lightweight, ergonomic grip and the perfect balance. Be sure to demo them soon!
New clothing abound! We have lots to choose from! New lines from Tail, Bolle, Wilson and Prince. Great styles, great fit and fabric.
Tail has come out with a great Cardio Tennis Line of clothing, great for that tough workout on the court.
For all Juniors, be sure to check out our Junior Corner in the Pro Shop, we have lots of clothing and Shoes to choose from!
October 05, 2006
New Pro
We would like to officially welcome Kris Shumway to our teaching staff. Kris is from Towanda Pa, where he was a high school standout in tennis & basketball. Kris attended Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, where he played #1 singles & doubles three of his four years. Kris helped lead his team to a Division 11 national ranking, achieved a top 50 national ranking in singles, and a top 15 national ranking in doubles. Kris received his undergraduate degree in physical therapy.
Kris also achieved the lofty status of gaining 3 ATP points in doubles in 2003 along with none other than Billy Mendler. Kris's tennis resume includes teaching at the Italian Tennis Center in Stamford Ct , the Bakersfield Racquet Club in Ca. and Sport Health Residence in Washington, DC. Kris has also assited with GETA in Elmira and Bloomsburg University summer tennis camps. Kris's easy going and friendly personality combined with his tennis expereince will make him a natural among both adults and juniors. Kris is 25 and single. Welcome aboard Kris!