The STC Times 1

Dedicated to the health and enjoyment of SaddleBrooke Residents

Volume 1, Issue 8 September 2015

STC’s LABOR DAY

TENNIS SOCIAL

What better way to celebrate the end

of summer than to have mixed doubles

tennis matches in the morning followed by

a terrific lunch consisting of hamburgers

and hotdogs, all cooked on the Tennis

Center grill?

That’s how we

did it this year.

Almost 70 players

participated in the

matches. Then more

than 100 members

and guests enjoyed

goodies from the

grill, chili, dips,

chips, and drinks on

our shaded patio beneath fresh breezes

from ceiling fans. The party was colorful

and cheerful in the tradition of tennis

parties at SaddleBrooke.

Our club is deeply appreciative of

every member who volunteers to make

these events possible and successful. Not

surprisingly, Debbie McGeehan served as

overall Chair; Joyce Wantuck served as

food coordinator, while the Tennis

Coordinators included George Collins, Carol

Eisenbraun, Riley Jackson, and Melanie

Murphy.

Now, on to the good part: Richard

Wantuck and Randy Zimmerman grilled the

hamburgers and hotdogs to culinary

perfection. The entire membership thanks

the STC for providing all of the makings

including buns, utensils, plates, cups, tea,

and lemonade. Our

thanks go out loud and

clear to all the

members who provided

the sliced tomatoes,

lettuce, onions, nuts,

chips, dips, desserts,

ice cream, and every

delicious accoutrement

that made the party

more than perfect.

A special summertime thanks goes to

Gary Greenbaum, Chad Stettler, and Kathy

Majer who served ice cream to everyone.

There were plenty of toppings available for

the “sweet-creation” types as all manner of

sundaes were seen briefly before being

eagerly consumed.

Clare Collins, Sue Case, Loretta

Edgerton, Stephanie Thomas, Kathy Majer,

Mary Zimmerman and Geri Sandilands

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handled all the food for the entire party.

Judie Renfrow expertly handled the check-

in desk. Thank you for your efforts. And

thanks to Frank Valenti, Rufus Renfrow and

Kent Naugle for the hard work involved in

setting up the tables and chairs that were

situated so perfectly around the patio.

One of the

highlights of the day

was the celebration

(just a few days

early) of the ninety-

third birthday for

June Buntain who was

an active tennis

player until just a

few years ago.

June’s daughter, Bonnie, presented her

with a lovely birthday cake while those in

attendance serenaded June with a chorus

of, you guessed it, “Happy Birthday”!

Look forward to our Happy Hour

New Members & Volunteer Appreciation

event on Friday, October 23rd, the Sadie

Hawkins Day Afternoon Social on Sunday,

November 15th and the STC Christmas

Dinner Dance on Saturday, December 12th.

There could also be a couple of “surprise”

special events that are rumored to be “in

the works”. Join us and enjoy the kind of

friendship shared by tennis players who

are fortunate enough to live in

SaddleBrooke. �

STC LADIES AT EL PASO

The Southwest Sectionals were an awesome experience for everyone on

the STC Ladies team. There

were a few

"bumps in the road" such as 95

degree heat on the very first

day. Then it rained on the

second day. And there was more.

One of our players came

down with a flu bug and had to go home. Another player got lost prior to

one of the matches. There was more. USTA changed the format on the third

day by requiring pro-set, no-ad scoring.

“Enough,” we said. Nevertheless it was a great experience, much fun, and

everyone did a fabulous job on the

court and while cheering for their teammates. That’s what Ladies Tennis

is all about at STC. Our first match on Friday was

against Himmel, the team we

originally beat in

play-offs to earn the right to go to

Sectionals in El Paso. Even though

these were very tough matches,

we won two of the three courts. The

second match was against Southern

New Mexico. Once again we took two of the three courts.

On Saturday, under the threat or rain, we managed to play one match

that we lost to Greater El Paso by a

very close score. After that play was suspended until the next morning.

Saturday night was party time for our

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players. More than 120 people attended even though it was moved from the

outside patio to the 5th floor garage. Still great fun!

USTA had to change the Sunday format to eight game pro-sets with no-

ad scoring to make sure we got off the

courts by noon. The match scores you see in Tennis Link are a USTA

conversion of eight game pro-sets. In other words, we may have won 8-4, but

Tennislink will show it as 6-3, 6-3 win. Our first match on Sunday was

against CAZ, a very powerful and talented team. During the season they

had a 12-0 record, and they had a 5-0 record at Sectionals. They lost only two

sets during the entire weekend. We lost all 3 courts to them. Consistent

with the ideal of competitive club tennis, CAZ was super tough and was

made up of very nice ladies.

During our last match we gave it our all and won three

courts. We were neck-in-neck with

Himmel and Greater El Paso. But in the

end we eked out the other two teams and came in a very respectable second

place. Given the competition in El Paso, we are very proud.

Here are some memorable moments from the tournament:

� The USTA tournament director and volunteers did a fabulous job under

some weather challenges. � Himmel and our team supporting

and cheering each other, forming a good bond with those ladies

� All of the ladies on the teams were

very nice, gave fair line calls, and exhibited great sportsmanship.

� The 79 year old lady who did a round of tai-chi before every match, then

stood at the back line, lobbing every ball. (Sometimes is not how hard

you hit the ball, but just getting it back in!) Amazing and frustrating!

� The awesome power and kindness of the CAZ team that came in first!

There was a little confusion about who came in second. The result was

that our team had already left when we were called back to accept our

second place awards. And get this.

The entire CAZ team waited another 15 minutes for us to come back so

they could give us hugs and congratulates.

� And of course, just the wonderful ladies on our team who all made this

possible! We are proud of our accomplishments.

Thanks to all for the support from the SaddleBrooke Tennis Club and our

many friends! �

Coordinator Focus – Jon Chase Jon Chase has served the

SaddleBrooke Tennis Club as a coordinator for eleven years. His tenure illustrates the value our club places on this important job. Our unique Organized Play program cannot function without dedicated coordinators who run the computers to arrange games and make

reservations every week of the year. Without this service, players would have to arrange their own games. We would rarely have the opportunity to meet new players and make new friends without the hard work of Jon and the other coordinators.

Jon, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last December, looks

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forward to returning to the game. Tennis has been a major interest since he moved to our community seventeen years ago. During that time he has watched SB develop and

mature as has STC itself. He notes that membership has also experienced maturation and turnover with the ongoing years. Through it all, he has fostered personal interchange with hundreds of players. That’s understandable because he is a great conversationalist who has the ability to make members feel at home in their own club. He has always provided a personal touch that makes it so pleasant to see a familiar face on our way to the courts.

Thanks, Jon, for the wonderful part you play in making the STC such an enjoyable part of our SaddleBrooke experience. �

STC Trivia From the August issue: “What major STC

event took place on November 7, 2009? A: Serve ‘Em Up For Charity Tennis

Event �

TENNIS TIP: You Don't Need

Topspin Groundstrokes This is a funny one because this is a

shot you definitely need for singles.

But for doubles, the concept of hitting

high looping shots from the back of the

court is a no-no. Here's why: Shots

traveling deep to the back of the court

with topspin become a nice easy volley

either for the opposite net player, who can

poach it, or for the oncoming volleyer.

If you possess a sharply dipping topspin

shot that you can angle or put at the feet

of the opposition, then you are OK. But if

all you have is the singles-like

groundstroke, then you are in trouble.

Also, if you can't get the ball to dip at

the feet of an oncoming player you will only

be presenting them with a volley or mid-

court ball that they can hit on the rise and

make life difficult for you.

You also need to consider whether the

extreme grips often used for topspin

groundstrokes may give you a problem when

and if you need to change grips while

coming to the net to volley or half volley.�

NOTE: October Scramble days will be Thursday the 15th for the men and

Friday the 16th for the women. �

Social, Competitive, and Fun!

C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

October 23 – Happy Hour New Member – Volunteer

Appreciation Event

November 15 -- Sadie Hawkins Day Event

December 12 – STC’s Christmas Dinner Dance

December 31 – New Year’s Eve Tennis Social