| Upcoming CORTA Tournaments |
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| Katherine White Competes for Burger King Southern Open 16s Clay Court Title
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Katherine White, Columbus Bi-City Tennis Player of the Year, will play in the finals of the Burger King Southern Open 16s Clay Court Championships, tomorrow, Thursday, July 10th at 9:30 a.m. at Cooper Creek Tennis Center. Katherine will be competing against her doubles partner, Caroline Price of Duluth, GA. Caroline is the daughter of Georgia Tech basketball legend, Mark Price.
Katherine is the daughter of Will and Amy White. Will and Amy met while playing junior tennis. They both won the same tourament (Southern Open 16s Clay Court Champioships) in 1976 when the tournament was held in Nashville, TN.
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| Congratulations 2008 CORTA Award Winners! |
Over 400 CORTA members and their families attended the CORTA Annual Membership Appreciation Party, Tuesday night, May 13, 2008. Yummy hamburgers and hot dogs were grilled by Country's Barbeque! CORTA Junior Council members and volunteers once again did an outstanding job, entertaining junior players with fun games on the courts! Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event such a success. A special thanks to Special Events Chair and Co-chair, Teresa Davis and Cheryl Smith.
CORTA member, Pamela Thomas, started off the Awards Presentation by singing the National Anthem! Who knew we had such talent right here? The winter and spring League winners were recognized. Thank you to the Awards Chair anc Co-chair, Teresa Douthit and Bill Douglas, and their committee, Marisela Humphries, Ron Morrison and Josh Reynolds for their solicitaion and review of the nominations and their outstanding selections. Congratulations to Kristopher Hill (Aaron Cohn Cup), Katherine White, (Junior Female Player of the Year), Christian Garay (Junior Male Player of the Year), Michelle Fuller (Adult Female League Player of the Year), Wayne Keene (Adult Male League Player of the Year), Sarah Mathis (Female Captain of the Year), Jeff Ammeramn (Male Captain of the Year), Barbara Farish (Volunteer of the Year), and Adam, Andie and Seth Centerbar (Family of the Year).
Congratulations to Blair Prescott winner of the Dr. Nelson O. Tyrone, Jr. Memorial Tennis Trophy! This trophy is awarded annually to a Columbus area resident, 18 years or younger whose actions on the court exemplify sportsmanship, character, and love of tennis.
Pictured L to R: Barbara Farish, Sarah Mathis, Jeff Ammerman, Michelle Fuller, Katherine White, Christian Garay, Seth Centerbar, Kristopher Hill, Ann Lyle Illges, Andrea & Adam Centerbar, and Kevin Jacobson |
| Welcome CORTA's Newest Staff Member! |
 CORTA is pleased to announce that Cissy Sanders has
joined the CORTA staff as an Adult Programs Coordinator. Cissy started her position just in time to help
with the scheduling of Summer Mixed Doubles, Senior Mixed Doubles,
Combo Doubles, Senior Combo Doubles, and City League! Whew... She also
worked with the USTA Georgia Senior League Championships!
With a 28%
growth in summer leagues this year, Charlie and Cissy are looking
forward to a big growth in both the USTA Adult and Senior Leagues this fall! Early Start League Ratings are expected to be published around August 11th. If
you are interested in joining an Adult or Senior League team in the
fall let us know. Please stop by the CORTA office and welcome Cissy! She is an exellent addition to the CORTA family! |
| CORTA has THREE Georgia Senior League Champion Teams! |
Eighty-five teams from all over Georgia competed in the Senior League Championship. Thank you to all the CORTA volunteers who made this tournament such a success!
Congratulations to Georgia Senior League Champs - Joni Breault 3.5W, Steve Scheer 4.0M, and Jay Pease 4.5M CORTA teams! Job well done! These three teams will advance to the USTA Southern Senior League Sectional Championships in July that will be held in Mobile, AL. CORTA will be well represented. Kudos to Brenda Oswalt's 3.0W team for finishing as a finalist!
Nita Perry needs to be congratulated on a fabulous job as Tournament Director. A very special thanks also goes out to the sponsors - IHOP, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites and for the drawing prizes from Cross Court Sports and Bob Dow's Tennis Shoppe!
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Super Seniors - Tennis for 60s and 70s
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It's a great time of the year to be a Super Senior! If you are 60 years of age or will be turning 60 this year, you are eligible to compete in the 60s division. The same is true for the 70s - anyone who will be at least 70 before December 31, 2008 will be eligible to compete in the 70s division. Players may also choose to play down, so anyone eligible for the 70s division is also welcome to compete in the 60s against the younger wipper snappers :-)
There are two great opportunities to for these age brackets to play, so take advantage of one....or both.
USTA Super Senior League - Over 3,000 players in the country are enjoying the fun, camaraderie and competition of playing in the Super Senior League. Two divisions are offered: Super Seniors 60s with 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 levels and Super Seniors 70s with 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 levels. A team match consists of three individual doubles matches.
Registration is open now, and teams must be registered by Friday, July 18th. Matches will be played on Saturdays and Sundays, July 27 to September 7, 2008. Please let us know if you need players for your team, or if you are looking for a team!
And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better...the Southern Combo Doubles Tournament for Super Seniors will be held at Cooper Creek Tennis Center, September 26-28, 2008! This format encourages participants to play with their friends, family and co-workers. Players combine their NTRP rating to play 6.5, 7.5 or 8.5.
The Super Senior Southern Combo State Championship is an open state tournament (form a team and you can compete). To enter, the team must register on TennisLink for a fee of $28.00 ($25.00 for the entry fee and a $3.00 registration fee). Teams may register as a Super Senior 60's combo team (combined ratings of 6.5, 7.5, or 8.5).
Team registration opens today. The deadline to form a team is Monday, August 11th.
This is a great opportunity to compete in a state championship and sleep at home! |
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CORTA Athletes Bring Home the Gold, Silver, & Bronze!
by Deby Caldwell |
On June 2, 2008, some special athletes involved in the CORTA "Ad In" tennis program competed in the Special Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta. CORTA has been preparing these athletes since February to compete in the Games, and the hard work paid off! These players and their doubles unified partners came away with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. One athlete competed in the Basic Skills division and won a fourth place ribbon. All in all it was a very special and meaningful day...for CORTA, for the partners and volunteers, and most of all for the athletes. CORTA was proud of the hard work, the determination, and the skill development of each athlete.
Hats off to athletes: Justin Beasley (Gold), Jordan Tutton (Silver), Doug Crouse and Vincent Blakey (Bronze), Sebastion Taylor (Fourth place). And a special thanks to the partners: Cindy Williams, Carol Heywood, Susan Markovich, and Amey Kulkarni. This was one of the most momentous days of my time at CORTA. When we say that CORTA will promote tennis to everyone, we really mean it. To see the joy and determination of these special people and what this day meant to them and their families made me very proud to be a part of this organization.
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| Cardio Tennis |
 Registration is open now for the July/August sessions of Cardio Tennis. Sign up NOW!
Evening Sessions (6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.)
Tuesday Evenings: July 15, 22, 29, August 5, 12, 19
Thursday Evenings: July 17, 24, 31, August 14, 21, 28 (No class Aug. 7)
Morning Sessions (9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)
Wednesday Mornings: July 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20
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| CORTA Junior Summer Camps |
This summer CORTA is offering a variety of Junior Summer Camps. Juniors, ages 5-18, try swinging a racquet in one of these fun camps July 14 - 18, 2008!
QuickStart Camp is a one week camp for players 8 & Under and 10 & Under kids.
Racquet Raisers is a one week, half day camp for beginner players.
Intermediate/Advanced Camp is a one week, full day camp for intensive and competitive tennis training.
Sign up NOW for the July CORTA Junior Summer Camp. There is a camp for all ages and abilities! |
TennisWorks in the Parks
by Helen Martin |
| The summer session of TennisWorks in the Parks is underway at Lakebottom Park on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. until August 6th! A very special thanks to the BEST volunteers ever - Dwan Grooms, Bernard Francis, Lisa Madler, Tina Rust, Scott Hampton, and Irish Warnock and junior volunteers - Kevin Jacobson, Sang Lee, Rebecca Levy, and Allen Rust. The influence of tennis is truly making an impact on the lives of the children who participate in this program! We are very fortunate to have the financial support from a generous grant awarded to CORTA by the Mildred Miller Fort Foundation. |
| Columbus Junior Players Excel in Tournaments |
Katherine White and Christian Garay both had outstanding results at the Southern Closed Championships, June 14 - 21, 2008.
Katherine White, playing in the Girls' 16s in Rome, GA upheld her seeding and finished 4th in singles losing to the #2 seed, Molly O'Koniewski of Hilton Head, SC 6-1, 6-4 in the 3rd/4th place playoff. Seeded #2 in doubles, Katherine and partner Caroline Price teamed to win the finals over the #5 seeds Kirsten Lewis and Ellie Yates, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. In addition to Katherine's outstanding results, she was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for her attitude of fair play and congeniality on the courts.
Fourth seeded Christian Garay, playing in the Boys' 12s in Columbia, SC lost in the finals to the #2 seed Brent Lett of South Carolina, 6-0, 6-4. Christian and partner McLain Kessler seeded #5 in the doubles lost to the #4 seeds John Morson and Ziqi Wang of Alabama, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the finals.
Christian Garay won the Boy's 14s at the GA State JR Clay Court Open Championships. Christian defeated Kyle Kinsler,6-1; 6-0. Henssey Ngo won the Girl's 14s at the GA State JR Clay Court Open Championships. Henssey defeated Caitlin Casey, 6-2; 6-2.
Chatham Cabelka won the Girl's 10s at the GA State JR Clay Court Open Championships. Chatham defeated Samantha Hirshberg, 5-7; 7-5; 10-4. |
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Q&A about Medication-Induced Photosensitivity
by Lisa A. Boothby, PharmD, BCPS - Columbus Regional Heathcare System |
What are sun-sensitizing medications?
Sun-sensitizing medications, also called photosensitizing agents, are medications that can increase the skin's susceptibility to reddening and burning from the sun. These medications are present in the patient's skin, and react in the presence of UVA light.
What medications and products can increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun?
Many prescription and non-prescription drugs contain photosensitizing agents that can cause sunburn, blistering, rash, hives or other skin reactions. These reactions are classified as either photoallergic or phototoxic.
What are some drugs that are photosensitizing?
Some
medications that are most commonly associated with sun-sensitivity are
diuretics used to treat hypertension (e.g., furosemide (Lasix®) and
hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)), retinoids (e.g., isotretinoin (Accutane®),
and some antibiotics. In addition, certain creams, lotions and other
skin preparations for acne are associated with photosensitivity
reactions. Other agents that can cause sun sensitivity are some
antidepressants (including tricyclic antidepressants and St. John's
wort), neuroleptics (e.g., chlorpromazine (Thorazine®), oral
contraceptives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (e.g.,
ibuprofen (Motrin®) and celecoxib (Celebrex®)) and many others.
Patients are urged to talk with their physician or pharmacist when
starting a new medication to ask about potential adverse effects as
well as the potential for medication-induced photosensitivity. What
can people do to protect themselves from photosensitivity reactions?
Patients should try to avoid direct, extended exposure to the sun while
taking sun-sensitizing medications. If complete avoidance of the sun
is not possible, patients should use a sunscreen that contains
avobenzone, zinc, or titanium dioxide since these sunscreens protect
against both UVA and UVB rays. A sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30
is necessary and should be reapplied frequently. Covering arms and
legs with light to white colored clothing will also help to reflect the
sun's rays, and hats may help protect the scalp, face, and neck.
Are patients with darker pigmented skin at less risk for sun-sensitivity reactions?
No,
all patients, regardless of skin pigment or ethnicity are at risk for
sun-sensitivity reactions. What are some good sources of additional
information about sun-sensitizing medications? An excellent review
article is available at http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic108.htm.
Remember to ask your physician or pharmacist about any new medications,
including over the counter medications and nutritional supplements.
Also, information for patients about specific medications can be found
at www.safemedication.com. | |
Wow! Half of 2008 is already in the history books and tennis in Columbus, Georgia continues to grow.
