Club News January 2014

Many of our members can be found at Bellingham Tennis Club and Fairhaven Fitness on a daily basis, while some even make stops at our Club twice a day.

That being said, there is probably no one who is at the Club as many times in a single week as our January Member of the Month.

Meet Greg Hatch, our beloved mailman who makes his afternoon stop daily, and who chooses to spend even more time at the Club playing tennis in the evenings.

If Greg looks familiar off the tennis court, it is probably because you have seen him around town, as he has been a mail carrier in Bellingham for over 36 years! His routes have taken him all over the city, but about 4 years ago he was awarded his dream route in Fairhaven. Now he greets all the local merchants by name (dogs included!) and enjoys the small-town feel of festive Fairhaven.

Growing up, Greg hadn't really spent much time with a tennis racquet. He was an avid runner (60 miles a week was typical) and did karate. In fact, Greg was at his test to receive his black belt when he got the phone call that his wife was going into labor with their first daughter!

He left and never went back. Running became a major focus again; he remembers after work he would run at least 8 miles, and his longest streak was 91 days without missing a single run.

It wasn't until his oldest daughter decided to try out for the high school team at Bellingham High that he actually started playing tennis on a regular basis.

Greg and his daughter would spend evenings at Whatcom Falls Park hitting the ball back and forth. Although he had no formal training, he was a natural. He loved the social aspect of the sport and soon found some opponents he would play with at the local parks.

Greg's daughters played for the Bellingham High tennis team for 8 straight years, and Greg made almost all of the matches, both home and away. Greg must have been an effective tutor, as both his daughters made it to the Washington state tournament, with his youngest daughter, Mandy, winning the Doubles State Championship title in 2007. With both his children in college, it was Greg's turn to hit the court.

When a fellow mailman joined the Club, Greg decided that there was a no better time to do so as well. He was very familiar with Bellingham Tennis Club & Fairhaven Fitness from his route delivering mail, but he still only played very recreational tennis.

Greg started playing matches with Jim Knox (a fellow Member of the Month), and they quickly gained a reputation as two of the greatest hustlers in the entire Club! Their points would take them all over the tennis court, grabbing the attention of onlookers off the court.

Not only did Greg's hustle earn him a reputation, but his kindness did as well. Both delivering the mail and on the court, he always has a smile on his face and a kind word to share.

He still plays tennis with his daughters, and now one of his weekly opponents is his son-in-law. He says that he always enjoys seeing everyone's smiling faces at the Club!

It seems that without his children, Greg may have never found himself on the tennis court, perhaps only visiting the Club to deliver the mail. If it weren't for that first baby being born and ending his karate career, his oldest daughter trying out for high school tennis and needing a practice partner, Greg would have never gotten that tennis racquet in his hand...

...And I wouldn't have the greatest tennis partner in the whole world.

---

Yes, I was that baby that was born right when he was supposed to get his black belt, and I was the freshman in high school that needed my dad to teach me how to serve a tennis ball so I could make the tennis team. Now, I'm an almost thirty-year-old adult that still loves playing tennis with my dad on Saturday mornings and then going out to breakfast.

Dad, thank you for being a constant reminder to so many of what tennis is really about and for being a living example of one of our goals hear at BTCFF, which is "Enjoying Life"!

And for the record, I'm really really sorry about ruining your chance to get your black belt in karate. You would have made Jackie Chan proud.

Article by Lindsay McDonald (Greg's daughter)

Our Member of the Month receives a

$25 gift card to the Pro Shop!

Member Announcements

Welcome New Members!

We still have room for a few more Tennis Memberships before we hit our cap. If you have friends who have been waiting to join, now is the time! We want to give a hearty welcome to our new Members!

We have a terrific Club because of you. We hope you will find plenty of fun and satisfying activities here to keep you healthy and fit.

Fitness

Jim Kent

Tennis

Darcy Carlson Darrell Cornelius

Asher Cohen Mary Guffie

Stephanie Johnson Tonya Whitlock

Dave Moreland Andy Romanyshyn

Doug Borneman Worth Everett

Anand Thiyagarajan

Student Members

Kira Vazorka

Micaela Granberg

Ruby Parker

Matthieu Jarrett

Club News ~ From Owner, Robin Robertson

Happy Holidays and New Year to All!

I am looking forward to all of the opportunities that a new year brings. As you'll see below, we have wonderful New Year ideas from Matthew and Jackie.

My mantra this year is to SIMPLIFY and focus on doing what we do best. I've decided that I'm a little tired of multi-tasking, and I'd rather just focus on doing one thing, doing it well, and completing it. Now this is easier said than done with the demands of running a business-- but that is my goal for 2014. And of course, staying fit and healthy!

My really exciting news that many of you have heard a little about is that on January 1-4, I'll be launching the Cycle Moles "Power to Pedal" indoor cycling video series. I've been working on this "2nd" business since last spring, and I've learned a ton about the world of internet and digital downloads. SO, the series of 6 indoor cycling training videos will be released at a special introductory price, plus some cool bonuses.

If you want to be on the mailing list for info about the Power to Pedal series, and other health and cycling tips, be sure to sign up here.

In 2014 I urge you to try something new. Make the change you've been thinking about. Simplify and set just one goal and meet it (then set another). Happy New Year to You!

From the Tennis Director, Matthew Iwersen

New Year & New Goals

Welcome to the 2014 New Year's Resolution List!

I will continue to work on fitness.
I will strive to make every day a GREAT DAY!
I will spend a moment each day to recognize what a fantastic family I have.
I will try and make each day a step forward in life.
I will continue to enjoy my work and look for ways to improve at my profession.
I will aim to help those in need!

Tennis Tip: Court Sense & Etiquette

I would like to start 2014 with some simple guidelines for all you tennis players.

Please do some form of dynamic stretching before you start to play--injury prevention is key!
Please be considerate of all players on the courts.
When a ball from another court comes onto your court, stop play and return the ball to the rightful owners when they are ready to receive it back.
Say "thank you" when a ball is returned to you.
Have fun, but be aware that some people appreciate a certain amount of peace while they are playing.

Tennis News & Updates

BTC Holiday Open 2013

Division	Champion	Finalist
Mixed Doubles 7.5	Tim Anderson & Karen Fossum	Jennifer Hine & Paul Shmotolokha
Men's Doubles 7.5	Chris Rink & Paul Shmotolokha	Rob Camandona & Francisco Ulate
Women's Doubles 7.5	Laurie Mullarky & Kara Nelson	Jennifer Hine & Kristee LeTavec
Women's Doubles Open	Judy Anders & Kasey Bower	Carmen Dolfo-Garrison & Janet Lenaburg
Men's Singles 3.0	Carmine Degiovani	Michael Infante
Men's Singles 4.0	Carmine Degiovani	Julian Torres
Men's Singles Open	Haadin Bava	Avery West
Women's Singles 3.0	Cam Hodges	Toni Brooks
Women's Singles 4.0	Ali Morrow	Kira Vazorka
Women's Singles Open	Mirela Gigovic	Kasey Bower

Palm Springs Adventure!

BTC Tennis Camp in Palm Springs: March 9-12th, 2014

There is still room for the Palm Springs Tennis Camp! Will run from March 9th-12th. We had a great time last year, so get your spot while there is still room!

Put your sunglasses on and join us for a fabulous time playing tennis in the sun while you are in Palm Springs! Our tennis camp gives you 4 days on the courts. We will start off with a Sunday afternoon kick-off play and party from 4-6pm! The next three days (Monday through Wednesday), we will begin the days with some seriously fun drill & play sessions from 8-11am. Arrange your own travel and accommodations. The Palm Springs Tennis Camp will be held at the Desert Princess Resort.

The price is $299 per person and includes 9 hours of tennis instruction, the kick-off party, and you get additional access to use the tennis courts and fitness area each day. We have a maximum of 12 people, so sign up right now to secure your spot!

We timed this, of course, so that you can also see the exciting matches in the PNB Paribas Pro Tournament. If you've never been to a Pro tourney before, this is one of the best to see with their small venues that are very accessible. And it's in the sun!

*Does not include: travel to/from Palm Springs, accommodations, ground travel, or tickets to the PNB Paribas Tournament

**If you are interested in staying in the condos at the Desert Princess, go to www.desertprincess.cc or email Tim@desertprincess.cc. Let them know you would like to be near the tennis courts.

______________________________________________________________________

JUNIOR TENNIS NEWS:

From Tennis Pro, Eric Guenther

Happy Holidays everyone; December was yet another successful month for our BTC juniors. Many of our players participated in the BTC Holiday tournament and had some fantastic results.

Avery West made it to the Men's open singles final, losing in a very tight and incredible match to Bava Haadin. Lauren Smith made it to the Women's open semifinals. Ali Morrow defeated Kira Vazorka in the Women's 4.0 singles, a fantastic result for both young ladies! Cameron Hodges also notched a great win, taking the Women's 3.0 title with a hard fought 3 set win.

A big shout out to all our other juniors: Brady Anderson, Elle Iwersen, Lizzie Friesen, Allison Anders, Sydney Parkinson, Jessica Maskell, Mariah Miller, Jaycy Cammock, Max Shmotolokha, Reece Gilbert, Alyssa Walters, Kevin Smiley, Drew Segren, Jared Wigen, Connor Thompson, Simone Hall, Taylor Harris, Madison Harris, and Nick Nolan. You all played some amazing ball and we look forward to seeing your games grow and see where they take you!

I hope you all have great New Year's tennis resolutions and start the new year off with some winners!

Happy Hitting,

Eric

Equipment News: 2014 Rackets!

As 2014 arrives, so does a ton of exciting new equipment. Earlier this month, we received the new Wilson Steam 99LS, the new Wilson Six.One 95S, the new Wilson Five, and the new Head Graphene Radical

Rev. Look for around 12 or so new frames (New Juice, Pro Staff, Radical, and Prestige frames) to hit the demo wall in the beginning of January and joined by more in February!

All of these new frames coming in means that we also have to make a ton of space on our demo wall, so we are having a demo racquet sale to offload some of our older lightly used frames. Ask Matt, myself, or any of our awesome front desk staff for more information on the frames we have left in stock!

From the Fitness Director,

Jackie Ellis

Let's Get Started

Each January brings the opportunity for a fresh start. We're passing through the gate of the New Year and have the chance to make 2014 YOUR BEST YEAR YET. Grab hold of this chance and run with it! It's never too late to start getting better. Let me tell you how I am working hard to make game-changing moves to propel my life to the next level.

In order to excel in 2014, there are some behaviors that I personally want and need to change in my life. But instead of creating a never-ending list of all the things I need to do, I'm taking the reverse approach. I've decided to determine which behaviors that I can STOP today that are impeding my success.

My fitness mentor, Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, calls this the "To-Stop" list (as opposed to the "To-Do" list). To create my list, I'm starting with the three basic behaviors that have the greatest impact on my health, family, and work. Once I remove those 3 behaviors from my life, I will move onto a new list of three behaviors to change.

Without realizing it, I've done this once already in 2013, and it has had BIG impact on my life. My biggest game-changer this year was to STOP putting myself and my family through the wringer in a job that demanded too much of me and wasn't rewarding. Now here I am, at Bellingham Tennis Club & Fairhaven Fitness, in a job that I love, with hours that allow me to be with my family and working for someone whom I greatly respect as a leader and entrepreneur. I couldn't be happier!

Create a list of your own. What three behaviors or actions are getting in the way of you reaching your goals? Write them down. Are you looking to eat healthier? STOP making brownies and keeping junk food in the house. Looking to get into better shape or lose weight? STOP skipping workouts to watch your favorite TV show. Looking for financial freedom in 2014? STOP buying things you don't need. Free yourself from the barriers between you and your goals, and I promise you will quickly gain momentum on having your best year ever!

Let's get started together!

Yours in health,
Jackie

Say "Yes" to the Little Black Dress!

We would like to offer a hearty congratulations to the participants of our recently ended Little Black Dress 6 Week Body Transformation challenge! Together, these ladies lost an impressive 30 POUNDS of pure fat, gained 5 pounds of pure muscle, and lost 11 INCHES around the thighs and waist.

The participants of this challenge enjoyed a celebratory cocktail party and shopping extravaganza at local Fairhaven businesses and restaurants, including Whimsey, 4 Stars Boutique, and the Big Fat Fish Company. You can view the pictures from their party on the Fairhaven Fitness Facebook page. (Be sure to "like" us to keep up on even more fitness updates!)

Fitness Tip: 10 Ways to Make 2014 Your Fittest Year Ever

Be the most positive person you know
Get 1% better every day.
Train like a pro athlete; exercise more. No one has EVER regretted a great workout.
Hire a personal trainer. Even pro athletes have coaches!
Do more resistance training to increase lean body mass and improve bone density.
Listen to inspirational music. Create your favorite play list for chilling out as well as working out.
If you like to read, try listening to books on tape and podcasts while you work out.
Turn OFF your TV!
Pick an exercise monitoring tool, such as a heart rate monitor, pedometer or exercise log, and start using it to track your success.
You can't out-train a bad diet! Eat higher quality foods. Try this: Double your vegetable intake daily.

Fitness News - Upcoming Camps & Challenges to Inspire you!

GET FIT with Our NEW Class Schedule!

Our January GET Fit Training Schedule is PUMPED UP with 10 new classes (in orange on the scheduel) and 2 new time-slots: 9:45am and 4:00pm! In celebration of our new schedule, we are offering a coupon for a FREE 2 WEEKS of classes between 1/5 and 1/18 for MEMBERS ONLY; just scroll down to the bottom of the page! If you are already an "Ultimate" or "Get Fit" Member, you may give your 2 week pass to a friend.

GET Fit: "Group Essential Training" Winter 2014

Schedule Start January 6th, 2014

Time	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
5:45 am	Boot Camp	Indoor Cycle	Muscle Tone & Sculpt	Indoor Cycle	Boot Camp	Club opens at 7:00 am
8:30 am	TRX 30		TRX 30	Cycle (45min) & Core (10Min) (starts 1/16)	TRX 30	8:00 am Indoor Cycling
9:45 am		Stability, Posture & Core		Muscle Tone & Sculpt		9:30 am Challenge Workout
11:00 am	Boot Camp	TRX 30	Boot Camp		Stability, Posture & Core
4:00 pm	Muscle Tone & Sculpt		Boot Camp
5:30 pm	Boot Camp	Indoor Cycle	Boot Camp	Indoor Cycle	Muscle Tone & Sculpt
6:30 pm	TRX 30		TRX 30

**GET FIT small group training is FREE with Ultimate Memberships; $15/Session; 10 class pass $125 No classes on 5/26/14.

Class Descriptions

Stability, Posture & Core: Core conditioning exercises using a stability ball to promote optimal posture.
Boot Camp: A challenging circuit workout that includes both strength training and cardio intervals for fast results.
Muscle Tone & Sculpt: A total body conditioning workout that uses hadn weights, tubing, med balls, BOSU trainers, and more.
Challenge Workout: This workout will change focus and instructor each week for maximum variety and fun!
Indoor Cycle: A no-impact cardio class with a huge calorie burn! No experience necessary, but come early to get setup if you are new.
TRX 30: Uses bodyweight in a suspension trainer to develop strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability ALL at the same time! Newcomers must complete the TRX Intro Session before coming to their first class.

Coming in January! The GET LEAN in 2014 Fitness Challenge

January 20th-March 2nd

Are you sick of your clothes not fitting? Dreading summer because it means wearing shorts, sleeveless tops and swimsuits? Tired of feeling sluggish, irritable, and exhausted all the time? Want to regain that youthful spring in your step? Want to change your boring (or non-existent) fitness routine? Need a challenge and inspiration to get you moving? Our 6 week Fitness Challenge is the solution!

The challenge includes:

Full access to our open gym area
Private Consultation to get started
Body Diagnostics (weight, body composition, measurements, postural analysis) Pre & Post
Unlimited Group Training Sessions (Boot camp, Cycling, TRX & more)
Weekly weigh-in
Access to our online Meal Planner & Nutrition Program
GET LEAN points for participation
Weekly "mini" prize drawings for working out in our facility (Valued over $600!)

Members: $47, Guests: $197

Our winners will receive great prizes!

Our GRAND PRIZE is an iPad Mini (value $299!)

1st Runner Up: $100 Gift Certificate to Fairhaven Runners

2nd Runner Up: $50 Gift Certificate to Fairhaven Bike & Ski

Call the Club to register!

Our Newest Camp: TRX for Teens

1/7-2/20 Tues or Thurs 4:15-5:00pm

Designed specifically with the 14-18 year old tennis player in mind, TRX for Teens uses hundreds of functional movements to build core stability, rotational power and improved balance-- all essential for developing a smooth, powerful stroke.

Meets Tues or Thurs 4:15-5:00pm.

Winter Session: 1/7-2/20 (7 weeks), 1x/week $63, 2x/week $126

Strong Moles is Back Again!

1/6-2/27 Tues & Thurs 7:00-8:00am

Back by popular demand, Strong Moles practices the two "S's", SPINNING and STRENGTH!

Get the best of off-bike strength training and on-bike cardio in each session for a metabolic boosting workout. Strength training focus is upper body and core. All levels welcome!

Meets Tues & Thurs from 7:00-8:00am.

Winter Session: 1/6-2/27 (8 weeks), Guests $192, Members $163.60

Club Tidbits & Snippets

Thierry, Ski Instructor Extraordinaire!

In December, our cycling coach extraordinaire (who doubles as a ski coach), Thierry Werderits added to his certifications!

He is now certified from the Professional Ski Instructors of America as a Level 1 Nordic Ski Instructor. Congratulations Thierry, and have fun teaching people how exhilarating it can be to hit the slopes!

FREE 2 WEEKS OF GET Fit Classes!	VALID FOR CLUB MEMBERS ONLY. "Ultimate" or "GET Fit" members may give this coupon to a non-member friend. Member Name: _____________________________________ Used by: _________________________________________ This voucher entitles the holder to unlimited GET Fit Group Essential Training Classes from 1/5/14-1/18/14. Coupon is not valid beyond this date range.
Offer valid from 1/5/14-1/18/14.

MEMBER REFERRAL GIFT

Get a FREE $25 Gift Card, $25 Credit on your account, or 30 Minute Tennis Lesson or Personal Training Session as our
"thank you" for every new member you refer.

Thanks to all our members & guests who make this a great Club!

Robin & Doug Robertson
Owners, Bellingham Tennis Club & Fairhaven Fitness

360-733-5050 www.bellinghamtennis.com