www.aacta.org
A community organization dedicated to supporting and promoting tennis
in the Ann Arbor area.
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THANK
YOU!
2009 CITY
TOURNAMENT
SPONSORS
Cayman Sports Company
The Chippewa Club
Elastizell Corporation
of America
Liberty Athletic Club
Underground Printing
Ann Arbor Ski Club
Carol Luckenbach
Delux Tents & Events
Genui Forma Design
Godaiko Japanese Restaurant
Huron Valley Tennis Club
Linda Sinkule Massage
Michigan Commerce Bank
Olive Garden
Peace of Mind Life Coaching
Probility Massage Therapy
Southeastern Michigan Tennis Association
The Tennis & Golf Company
Ann Munro
Heart of a Warrior Fitness Training
Oasis Hot Tub Gardens
U of M Michigan Coaches
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2009 AAACTA
Board of Directors
Patrick Lee
President
Kathy Legatski
Vice President
Helen Peters
Secretary
Barbara Wasneski
Treasurer
Karen Baxter
Sandell Bennett
Denise Goss
Bil Hinton
Nancy Kelley
Carol Luckenbach
Barbara Mueller
Sally Petersen
Rebecca Rae
Paul Ripley
Vanda Shadigian
Linda Woodland
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Letter from AAACTA'S President
Good Work, All,
And Have a Fabulous Off-Season
Now that the 90th Annual Ann Arbor City Tournament is complete, it's time to reflect. If you're like me, May through July blows by quickly and so it's natural, come August, to stop and ask, what just happened?
 First, the Tournament - all 4 events - was successfully completed. That alone was a small triumph. That it happened without acrimony was a bonus, for, as one of my former teammates once told me, "at this level, in five or ten years, no one will remember who won or lost - but they'll always remember a bad sport or a cheater." Actually, he didn't say bad sport - he used a different word and I take license. He was right. That's one of the features of NTRP tennis. I'm happy to say that I have no memory of any bad actors.
Second, Tournament enrollment, the size of the draw, was up a whopping 17% compared to last year. I commented to the Treasurer that this was a good thing and that we could use more of it, there being significant slack local court capacity still left to accommodate the larger draws. Capacity needs are the downside of a larger Tournament. The upside, of course, is increased revenue and an ability to expand our offering.
 Third, online registration, introduced this year, accounted for all but 38 of the entries. Thus, we can only conclude that you like it. I was once told that a reasonable person adjusts to the world as it is, an unreasonable person seeks to change the world to accommodate himself. Therefore, all progress comes from unreasonable people. I can assure you that the Tournament Committee staff that instituted online registration are unreasonable (and perhaps like to wait until the last minute as well, if that sounds familiar to anyone). Long may they continue to seek to bend the world to their fingertips.
Last, and most important to me, we enjoyed the service of a diligent, experienced, and knowledgeable volunteer and officer base as well as the lasting support of a generous group of sponsors.
 So, we have a Tournament that virtually runs itself, is staffed with fabulous volunteers and officers, receives largesse from a seemingly recession-proof and generous sponsor base, enjoys an honorable and chivalrous clientele, is growing, and enjoys the ability to innovate to its own benefit.
That's not bad.
That's also not all. We have some interesting ideas for the next event. I've got one in particular that I think worthwhile. I'll be canvassing a targeted and very small group of people in order to build support for this idea. However, that's just one idea. We also welcome your feedback via the AAACTA.org website and our survey effort. Let us know what you want. While I won't tip my hasnd on any surprises for next year, I recommend that you lobby your club to support the City Tournament. They will listen and it will enable the next big thing.
 In sum, I'd call it a good year. Usually, something sticks with me from the tournament. I had an injury and was unable to participate in the final event but was on-site regardless, limping around the catwalk, enjoying the different matches in progress. At some point during my pained meanderings, I had a brief conversation with a man many of you know. He was downcast. He'd missed going to the final in his event after being at match point in his semifinal match. He was upset and didn't want to talk about the match. Yes, of course he was. Who of us has not been there? I'm happy to say that I've been there and been on the other side as well. This is what used to be called the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. Who among us does not know the feeling that our whole life hangs in the balance of a few milliseconds of string contacting ball, the improbable carom of a fuzzy yellow sphere off the white, Wilson-labeled top tape of a net? That's what we come for, and his was no disgrace.
 Consider the following from Theodore Roosevelt, and take heart, whether you won or lost.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
See you next year,
Patrick J. Lee
AAACTA President
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 Congratulations 2009 Doubles Champions & Finalists!
See the photos!
Mens Open:
Champions Dave Coverly and Sven Holcombe
Finalists Craig Capelli and Todd Schalk
Mens 9.0:
Champions Jay Mitchell and Jon Bowdler
Finalists Joe Jankolovits and Spencer Piston
Mens 8.0:
Champions Jeff Siciliano and Joe Pantaleo
Finalists Jeff Alson and David Smith
Mens 7.0:
Champions Tomoyuki Uchiyama and Prashant Ramachandra
Finalists Craig Penrose and Robert Tinney
Mens 6.0:
Champions Jae-Wook Oh and Jongsang Park
Finalists Josh Chunnahacha and Ky Nguyen
Mens Senior:
Champions Carey Culbertson and Fred Chapman
Finalists Ray Burke and Leo Legatski
Womens 9.0:
Champions Ann Hubbard and Crissy Rodriguez
Finalists Rumi Terao and Deirdra Brinkman
Womens 8.0:
Champions Leigh Formicola and Kathleen Hadley
Finalists Kathy Bowdler and Susan Kessler
Womens 7.0:
Champions Heather Conway and Lauren Comai
Finalists Anne-Marie Kim and Hisae Yoshihara
Womens 6.0:
Champions Jane Wood and Marjo Grabowski
Finalists Laura Dickey and Christy Howden |
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 2009 Mixed Doubles
Champions & Finalists
See the photos!
Mixed Open:
Champions Sven Holcombe and Marijana Adzic
Finalists Rob Smothers and Kendra Clark
Mixed 9.0:
Champions Stefan Welch and Leigh Formicola
Finalists Fode Camara and Vanda Shadigian
Mixed 8.0:
Champions David Emery-Peck and Jennifer Emery-Peck
Finalists Stephanie Debosch and Fred Smith
Mixed 7.0:
Champions Akemi Uchiyama and Tomoyuki Uchiyama
Finalists Albie Silverman and Paula Silverman
Mixed 6.0:
Champions Vivien Gierach and Xuequn Chen
Finalists Wasi Kahn and Susan Moore
Mixed Century:
Champions Jeff Alson and Barbara Wasneski
Finalists Eileen Kernaghan and Ray Burke |
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 Let's Hear It!
For the Juniors Champions & Finalists
2009 Ann Arbor City Tennis Tournament Juniors Competition
See the photos!
SINGLES MAIN DRAW
Boys' 18, Eric Hubbard (Garrett Halpert); Boys' 16, Kevin Chang (Hunter St. Pierre); Boys' 14, Blake Ahadi (Andy Wu); Boys' 12, Cary Welsh (Anders Rasmussen); Girls' 18, Megan Geiger (Kaitlyn Sykes); Girls' 14, Tiffany Chang (Azba Gurm); Girls' 12, Danielle Mitroi (Michiko Ota); Kids' 10 and under, Gabriel Kleer (Anthon Pero).
SINGLES CONSOLATION DRAW
Boys' 18, Peter Dixon (Jeff Hwangbo); Boys' 16, Will Heider (Brad Kralik); Boys' 14, Isaiah Stone-Wheatley (Michael Shin); Boys' 12, Zach Martell (Henry Kotila); Girls' 18, Shanna Cooper (Allison Fitzpatrick); Girls' 12, Sanika Kulkarni (Shanoli Kumar); Kids' 10 and under, Sam Kavarana (Beau Chicoine).
DOUBLES
Boys' 16, Andy Wu and Sam Brodkey (Henry Belden and David Goldfarb); Boys' 14, Aaron Brodkey and Akihiro Ota (Thomas Friedlander and Nate Wegryn); Boys' 12, Nicolas Figueroa and Cary Welsh (Gabe Kleer and Ian Yi); Girls' 18, Allison Fitzpatrick and Megan Geiger (Catherine Lillard and Kaitlyn Sykes); Girls' 12, Michiko Ota and Laura Hanselman (Sanika Kulkarni and Reeshma Kumar). |
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 Hats Off to the Volunteers
Here's the folks who pitched in to make the Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Juniors Tournaments successful. Thank you!
VOLUNTEERS:
Sherry Witmer, Linda Woodland, Kathy Legatski, Sally DeLange, Ann Hubbard, Janet Remen, Liz Perry, Wayne Butler, Ann Munro, Denise Goss, Jeanne Tennis, Meral Kazan, Jet Hall, Emre Kazan, Anne-Marie Kim, Jane Black, Carol Luckenbach, Jody Linn, Karina Shadigian, Tom Wielenga, Sue Kiss, Bob Galardi, Sandell Bennett, Peg Faulkner, Deb Crosby, Vanda Shadigian, Heather Conway, John McReynolds, Helen Peters, Mike Kozakiewicz, Barbara Mueller, Karen Baxter, Grant Smith, Gordon Boettcher, Linda Sprankle.
EXTRA THANKS TO Mike DePietro, Juniors Tournament Director, Ryan Rooney, Juniors Site Director at Pioneer, and Barb Wasneski. They worked extra hard and late because of first day rain.
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Sandell Bennett
AAACTA Newsletter Editor
Got a comment or an idea about the newsletter? Contact Editor |
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