PTC Drop Shot
January 2022

Upcoming Events

 

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President’s Message:  Kate Belding
Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.  
 
I’d like to take a moment to recognize our outgoing Board members.  Firstly, a huge thank you to Erica Reilly, who is finishing up her third year on the Board, having served as Tennis Chair, President, and chair of Membership.  Erica helped us navigate through the uncharted waters of the pandemic, the shutdown, and the intricacies of COVID guidelines during her term as president in 2020 and has been an invaluable help to me as we continued to navigate our way through changing state and county guidelines in 2021, as well as through our restarting of club tennis and social activities.  Thank you to Reynold Harbin, who served as Tennis Chair in 2020 and 2021.  Reynold, thank you for all your hard work in putting on so many wonderful tennis events in both 2020 and 2021.  Finally, many thanks to Gene Trainor, who served as Secretary in 2020 and as Treasurer in 2021.  Gene, in addition to keeping all of our finances in order, also oversaw the huge project of the fitness room remodel.  
 
Here are the Board members for 2022:
Kris Willig - President
Jack Herndon - Treasurer
Kate Belding - Membership
Denee Berliner - Social Chair
Doug Heffernan - Tennis Chair
Beth Francesconi - Secretary
Marty Funk - House and Grounds
 
Many thanks to all our members who contributed so generously to the CCFD annual toy drive here at the club.  The three barrels were overflowing.  Thank you for your generosity and for helping us spread holiday cheer.
 
And finally, a big thank you to our club manager, Lona Means, and her team for their dedication to our club.
 
I look forward to working with our incoming Board in 2022.  In the meantime, stay safe and see you on the courts.

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Editor's Note:  Jeff Tateosian
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our 2021 Board members as well as Lona Means & Pablo Alvarado for writing many informative articles for this past year’s Drop Shots.  We all appreciate your time and effort.  Another thank you goes to Nancy Batchelor, & Kate Belding for proofreading the newsletters each month as well as our webmaster, Dennis Mayer.  Nancy has volunteered her time helping to produce the Drop Shot over the past fifteen years.

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Manager:  Lona Means
Optimistically looking forward to a fantastic new year!  Thank you for the generous thoughtful contributions to the holiday fund this year.  Loel, Tony, Steve and I all really appreciate all of you and know what a special place PTC is.
 
It's that time of year again, please do not use the ball machine in wet or damp conditions.  The balls swell and get stuck inside the shoot of the machine.  Also, please be careful not to run the ball hopper over the electrical cord, and always pull the cord out close to the electrical outlet.  Please return ball machine to the shed after each use.
 
We have a few half size lockers still available in the men's locker room.  Please let Steve or me know if you are interested. 
 
By now you should have received your quarterly statement for the period January through March, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns or if you did not receive it.

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Club News:  Jeff Tateosian
 
Club Anniversaries for October - December  (5+ years)
Congratulations to the following members:
 
Bob & Leslie Reisfeld - 35 years
Lee Bradford - 25 years
Paul & Catherine Richards - 20 years
Peter & Jane Stevenson - 15 years
Brian & Marisa Wachhorst - 15 years
Carey & Bryan Welsh - 15 years
Whitney & Denis Murphy - 10 years
Matt & Caroline Dowling - 10 years
Jackie Sage & Cory Ravid - 10 years
Jennifer & Riyad Salma - 5 years
 
Congratulations to long time members Karl & Debbie Bakhtiari’s son, Green Bay Packers David Bakhtiari, for being featured in the Mercury News on Sunday.  Read how he went from being a “goofy, sometimes lazy high school kid who relished his role as Serra’s class clown" into a five-time All Pro and Pro Football Focus’s #1 rated Left Tackle in the NFL.
 
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/22/why-packers-bakhtiari-has-put-his-old-serra-high-coach-in-a-tough-spot/

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Tennis News:  Reynold Harbin
Thank you to all our wonderful members who participated in the tennis events at the club this past year.  In 2021, tennis had become even more important to many of us to get outside, exercise, and have fun.  We hope the tennis events at the club have provided a safe and fun way for you to meet more members through the great sport of tennis.
 
2021 included many opportunities to play and meet others, including the PTC Mixed Doubles Round Robin at the beginning of the year, the Family + Pro Day where Pablo and Stephanie mixed tennis skills with games and prizes for our kids and the whole family, the neon-heavy Ladies of the 80s Women’s Doubles Round Robin, our van Dillen Men’s Doubles Championship and the Betty Cookson Doubles Championships, the PTC Men’s Singles Championship, and of course the Fiesta Calcutta Tournament.  All these events had great participation, fantastic tennis, and loads of fun.
 
Thank you to all who volunteered on the Tennis Committee to make these events successful, especially Sheila Higgins, Peter Stevenson, Steve Brooks, Nancy Batchelor, Marci Martinucci, Kim Cresci, Steve Oliver, Davina Chall, and Lona.
 
As we move into organizing tennis for 2022, please join me in welcoming Doug Heffernan, who will be our next Tennis Committee Chair.  We are looking forward to some wonderful tennis this year.
 
See you on the courts!
 
 
By Sheila Higgins:
The 4th annual Betty Cookson Doubles Championship women's tournament was another great PTC event and has become a wonderful club tradition.  The players really showed up this year with impressive points and incredible shot making, resulting in a few matches that could have gone either way.  There were so many dramatic matches with back and forth momentum shifts, including the Open division final that lasted nearly three hours. 
 
We had gorgeous weather for the Open final, and a lovely celebration after the match, where Betty presented the trophy and said a few words.  We also managed to surprise Betty with champagne and a cake to celebrate her 99th birthday!  If ever you need a reason to continue playing tennis as you age, spend a few minutes with Betty and surely you'll be inspired.  She was thrilled to be at the club and stayed well into the afternoon, visiting with many old and new friends.  She was very impressed with the level of play on court, and remains grateful that the tournament is named in her honor and continues to grow each year.  
 
In spite of the current state of the world and some scheduling challenges this year, it was still a fantastic tournament.  Thank you for playing, watching and cheering!  
 
Betty Cookson Doubles Championship - Final Results:
 
Open Division - Back Draw
Kelly Mulready/Christina Ching defeated Amy Grenier/Lexi Slavet  7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4
 
Open Division - Back Draw  
Nina Wang/Kim Cresci defeated Marilee Brooks/Shari Mayer  5-7, 7-6, 10-8
 
8.0 Division - Main Draw
Amanda Wheeler/Christina Funk defeated Erica Reilly/Meaghan Schaefer  6-2, 6-3
 
8.0 Division - Back Draw
Grace Voorhis/Elise Brand defeated Ruth Shannon/Jenny Smith  6-2, 6-3
 
6.5 Division - Main Draw
Mei Chen/Jamie Shen defeated Davina Chall/Jennifer Ellison  6-1, 6-7, 10-7
 
6.5 Division - Back Draw
Heather Akuiyibo/Sarah Oliver defeated Nina Herndon/Alison Caron  7-5, 4-6, 10-8
 
 
This year's Men's Singles Tournament once again lived up to its expected high level of play.  It was a beautiful afternoon with the upper patio filled with enthusiastic members.  In the Open Division Main Draw, Mike Ying looked his dominant self in defeating club newcomer James Kim in more competitive match than the 6-1, 6-2 final score showed.  Please see the results for all the finals below:
 
Men's Singles Tournament - Final Results
 
Open Division - Main Draw
Mike Ying defeated James Kim  6-1, 6-2
 
Open Division - Back Draw
Reynold Harbin defeated Jamie Funk  6-0, 6-0

3.5 Division - Main Draw
Jyoti Palaniappan defeated Marty Funk  2-6, 6-1, 6-4
 
4.5 Division - Back Draw
Ed Willig defeated Ron Friedman  6-3, 6-0

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Fitness Room Update:  Gene Trainor
While COVID continues to wreak havoc on our daily routines, we hope you are enjoying the new fitness room.  The city recently issued the final permit, so we are officially approved for all work.  The TV in the fitness room was recently re-installed and we are in the process of installing two fans to increase air circulation.  A reminder to purchase your Preva token from the PTC office for easy login to the equipment and to download your workouts onto your favorite app.  The equipment also seamlessly connects to your Apple devices.  If you are curious about any of the equipment and how it works, please refer back to an email Lona sent on September 22, 2021 that provided a summary on each piece of equipment.
 
The Junior Room will be completed very soon!  Special thanks to Jim and Andrea Sobel for coordinating all the details of a new sectional furniture - delivery is expected in early April.  In the meantime, a new smart TV was just mounted and a glass whiteboard will be installed in a couple of weeks.  A work counter is planned along the back wall where juniors can work on laptops or do homework and will be installed shortly.  Many thanks again to all those who had a hand in making this project possible.  
 
Treasurer’s Report: - Gene Trainor
It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as Treasurer this past year.  Even with fewer guest fees and no locker charges, we were able to make the finances work this year.  I appreciate everyone involved with events (social and tennis) being focused on the budget as well as organizing fantastic events for our members.  Our budget continues to be very tight with little room for over budgeted costs.  You can really help by signing up to pay your dues with ACH.
 
PTC has offered its members the ability to pay quarterly dues through ACH.  This service allows PTC to directly charge your bank account for dues and saves members from remembering to write checks.  As a small club, we rely on members paying dues in a timely manner.  Not paying dues on time could impact our ability to pay bills promptly towards the end of a quarter before the next quarter's dues are received.  Please help all of us ensure the club has sufficient operating funds to pay its bills during the quarter and consider signing up for ACH payment.  You can reach out to Lona for the simple paperwork.  It really is easy and will help you and PTC stay on top of dues payments.
 
Finally, our loan is self amortizing with monthly loan payments and will be paid off in about 12 years.  Our capital reserve fund is in great shape after our fitness/junior/unisex bath renovation project with a fund balance in excess of $300,000.  We should be in great shape for future capital initiatives.

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Membership News:  Erica Reilly
First a big thank you to the Membership Committee, Sheila Druskin, Mickey Podolsky and Nina Wang for making this another great membership year at PTC.  I appreciate all your support and advice this year.
 
We are sad to say goodbye to  the following thirteen members in 2021: Matt & Nikki Squires, Mike & Julie Buckmaster, Matt & Debbie Crisp, Hank Sumpf, Chad & Lauren Altbaier, Gabriel & Deva Dalporto, Jay & Ginger Penn, Jeff & Jackie Lindstrom, Steve Rogers, Gary & Lynn Goodman, Robert & Andrea Irvin, Ashley Stirrup and Derek & Jill Johnson. 
 
At the same time, we are excited to welcome eleven new families to PTC in 2021: Wickham, Oliver, Chang, Garner, Geheran, Palaniappan, Branon, Chang, Mandelbaum, Boyanova, & Turner.  Note - a few Emeritus members resigned in 2021, and their membership does not get replaced with new members.  Our new members span USTA ratings of 3.0-4.5 and all are active players who have already joined teams or are eager to do so.
 
The current waitlist is very strong with 22 applicants waiting to join the club, hopefully making 2022 another great year at PTC.
 
New Member Profiles:
Iglika & Iavor Boyanova - Iavor and I moved from Bulgaria twenty years ago.  We raised our three boys Calin (15 yrs), Nikola (12 yrs) and Alec (8 yrs) here in Burlingame.  With all three boys in three different schools (McKinley, BIS and D-Tech), it is quite busy in our house.  Our family loves to travel (it gives us a chance to spend quality time together), visit new places, learn about new cultures, and create lifelong memories.  We are all excited to join the PTC and with that we can't wait to play tennis, enjoy the pool, and of course make some new friends.
 
Chaya & Ilana Mandelbaum - The Mandelbaum family recently moved to the Peninsula from San Francisco and became members in September.  Chaya is a strong 4.5 player who regularly plays with several members and is looking forward to playing on PTC teams.  Ilana's parents, Bill and Joan Parmer, were longtime members and she grew up at PTC.  Ilana played all through high school and is a solid 3.5 player. They have 2 kids, Jonah (2 yrs) and Sadie (1 yr).

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Social News:  Denee Berliner
While we had hoped to host many more social events during the fall/winter, we have fond memories of the events we were able to orchestrate at the beginning of 2021 and into the summer.  The unexpected theme for the 2021 Social Committee was flexibility/pivot, and now we’re looking forward to bigger and better events.  We are enthusiastic about the possibilities for 2022.  Val March has graciously stepped up as Co-Chair for the Social Committee in 2022, and together we’ll be planning an exciting year of gathering and celebrating with friends and fellow members.  If you’re able to join our committee, please reach out to either one of us, we would love to have you.
 
A huge round of applause goes out to the following 2021 Social Committee members who volunteered graciously, smiled when dates were changed or canceled, and never once complained or hesitated to lend a helping hand…. Kerry, Kristin, Carey, Jeff Tateosian, Jeff Tsu, Lisa R., Marissa, Kim, Val, Linda, Andrea, Elizabeth, Joanne, Audrey, Jenn, Kate, Chris, Carolyn, Olive, and Peter.  Thank you - we really appreciate you!!! 

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Tennis Pro:  Pablo Alvarado
First and foremost, I want to thank you for supporting the Tennis Program.  With Coach Stephanie, we work hard every day to deliver the best experience possible for you and your family.  We are excited about and looking forward to a new year full of fun and joy on court.

Here are a few highlights from 2021 and some news for 2022: 
 
Adults Clinics, Junior Program, Privates & more
As always, we are planning for 2022 a variety of programs to cover the needs of players of all ages and skills levels.  Last year, our Junior Program joined Evolution Tennis, the world's #1 tennis network for Junior Development, and we are proud to keep this partnership for the 2022 season as well.  For adults, we will continue offering drop-in clinics, small group, privates and semi-private lessons.  We will be introducing Cardio Tennis and more new classes during the year.  Make sure to check the PTC blasts and check the class calendar so you don't miss the fun.

After four years, we will be updating the rates of the private and semi-private lessons.  Starting January, the fee for a one-hour private class will be $100, and $55 for each player for a semi-private lesson.  Small groups, drop-in clinics and Junior Program will continue with the same rates as last year.
 
We are glad to announce FILA as our new partner for tennis apparel.  The iconic Italian brand is currently sponsoring many Top WTA players: #1 Ashleigh Barty, #4 Karolina Pliskova and #12 Sofia Kenin.  On the men's side, Argentinean Diego Schwartzman (#13 ATP) and number one American John Isner are among many raising stars who are current FILA brand ambassadors.  We are looking forward to sharing this new style with all the PTC members.
 
Being conscious about the environment is very important for all of us, and the PTC Board has extended the relationship with Recycle Balls for the 2022 season.  So far, we have kept 15,600 balls out of the landfills since we've started recycling at Peninsula Tennis Club.  Recycle bins are always available at the Tennis Office.   Let's make a better world one ball at a time.
 
Your PTC Coaches are at the top of the industry contributing with the United States Professional Tennis Association NorCal Division and helping tennis programs and coaches to thrive in their careers.  Coach Pablo will be serving as Vice-President for 2022 and 2023 while Coach Stephanie will be the leading chair of "Elevate" the USPTA program specially designed for under 30-year old coaches. 
 
I wish you all the best for you and your family for this coming year, and let's have some fun on court together!

 
 
 

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