Captaining a Mixed Bag

There are captains and then there are Captains! Karen Martin of Leaside’s ICTA Mixed C team is definitely one of the latter. Organized, efficient and supportive of her team, Karen exemplifies what it takes to get eight men and four women on the court each week for 14 weeks all summer long. Work schedules, vacations, rain, rain and more rain make communication and a sense of humour a must for any captain. Each match night, Karen stays and watches her team complete their matches. She pumps them up if they lose and makes sure all the visitors feel welcome and get enough to eat. Karen’s dream is for her team to win their division so that they can play at the ICTA tournament in September. Yes, a tough 6-0 loss to the first place team from Tournament Park has dashed her hopes but with so many rained out matches left to play it is tough to see how the divisions will end. Thus, Karen keeps her team’s spirits up, hopes for the best and has already started planning for next year. A truly dedicated captain!

Brains versus Brawn

“I may not have the shots, but I do have the smarts,” said Valley TC’s Gail Brown with a smile, as she and her partner posed for their victory photo over Bayview Village TC. Gail had just been asked if she had deliberately slowed the pace of her serve in order to force a rash of errors from her much younger opponents. Gail is a wily veteran of league play and competes for both the TLTL Premier Division and the ICTA Mixed League A Division. The game of doubles is about so much more than athleticism and power. Winning players know that strategy and communication are equal in importance to the quality of their strokes. Gail’s partner, Cindy Sigesmund, is the president of the Valley TC, a public club nestled in Hogg’s Hollow just beside the York Mills subway station and a proud supporter of the MLC. “Even though our teams aren’t going to win anything, we’re happy to fly the banners and promote the growth of league tennis in Ontario,” said Cindy. Thank you to all the clubs, like Valley TC, who allowed the Ambassadors to come to their matches and faithfully put up the Miele League Challenge banners. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Win! Win! Win!

How about a VIP Miele catered dinner and 2009 Rogers Cup experience for 10? What about a new high-end ultra-quiet dishwasher? Or a quality compact vacuum cleaner? Time is running out to enter the Miele League Challenge contest so click here to sign up now! The draw will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 8, 2008.

ICTA Tournament on September 6 at Rexall Centre

The final Miele League Challenge event of the summer tennis season is the Inter County Tennis Association Tournament on September 6 at Rexall Centre. A year ago the ICTA debuted a one-day tournament to give all leagues an opportunity to come together and play in showcase matches. A year later the tournament has grown and now includes Miele Limited as an official sponsor. Additional sponsors will support a great day of tennis as teams from across the GTA and as far away as Orangeville and Whitby compete for the 2008 City Championship bragging rights. Award ceremonies are planned for Centre Court with prizes for all teams and participants.

Many of the ICTA leagues have finished for the season and the division winners are gearing up to play in the tournament. Match times and complete information will be available at the Miele League Challenge Web site as well as on the ICTA Web site.

Draws and timeslots will be posted in the next newsletter to be published on August 28.

From the Cradle to the Grave

Can you imagine still playing at the highest level of league tennis when you are in your 70s… and winning? Who is the oldest winning player in the ICTA Ladies Majors? Bill Maron, head tennis professional at Timberlane Tennis Club, posed this question to the ICTA Ladies League Director, Adwynna MacKenzie and the search was on. Ladies league matches take place on Wednesday morning and there are many “don’t call me elderly” ladies that love to compete. Over time injuries and diminishing speed cause some players to move down a level or two. Yet, for some, like Timberlane’s Gitta Gamm, they remain the stalwart of their team and an inspiration to us all. Gitta is 70 years old and had won her first two matches, which is what prompted Bill’s curiosity. When asked, captains were quick to respond with stories of their veteran players. Younger opponents dread the sight of these crafty ladies on the opposing court. They don’t have the topspin and power of today’s generation of players, but they have a deadly combination of skilled placement and always being in the right place on the court. Plus, they can lob on a dime! Just look at the records of two ladies from the Newmarket TC; Olive Maguiness who will turn 70 this month is 3-2, and Erika Kerwin, who passed the 70 year milestone on June 18 ended the season with an impressive 4-1 record! The winner of Bill’s query turned out to be a 71 year old woman from Banbury TC who looks like she’s in her mid-fifties, has a great sense of humour and is a wonderful tennis player, although she would beg to differ. When contacted regarding the honour of being the oldest winning player in the Majors, Mariad Devonshire replied, “I was 71 years old in January of this year and am now 71 and a half. My record in the Majors is two wins and no losses. I will have that inscribed on my tombstone.” You go Mariad!