Blog Posts

Hawaiian Shirt Opening Mixer A Huge Success!

6/15/2019

SYTC's Opening Mixer Saturday June 15 featured a Hawaiian shirt (and lei) theme and attracted more than twenty enthusiastic doubles players on a warm sun-filled morning. Friendly competitive play was the order of the day as Club Manager Steve Francis - sporting a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt filled with tropical beachy images - whistled teams on and off the court every twenty minutes to note scores and change match-ups. Steve reports that his spectacular shirt once attracted a spontaneous purchase offer of $200 but not even a great offer could get him to part with the precious apparel. In an exciting Final match Barbara Roach and Will Towner (member Susan Towner's husband) prevailed over Leslie Hathaway and Joe Roach 6-4.

It's easy to see the camaraderie on display in the player photos below. And check out the three videos of live action!

In the videos below:
1) Bob Levine and Susan Towner win a point from Deb Norton and partner
2) Joe Roach rips a serve and a powerful forehand winner
3) Leslie Hathaway returns serve and partner Joe Roach poaches for an aggressive winning volley

Barnstable HS Tennis teams Play The Clay at SYTC

6/15/2019

On Wednesday June 12 Barnstable tennis coaches Lou Giglio and Mike Sarni brought their players to SYTC for an afternoon of post-season fun on the clay. Decked out in their tennis whites, the players competed the old-fashioned way - with wooden rackets. An awards ceremony followed the friendly hitting. A good time was had by all!

Perfect Opening Day For Sunday Morning Mixed Doubles

6/9/2019

June 9 was opening day for the club's highly popular Sunday morning mixed doubles event featuring fabulous weather conditions and much camaraderie as players engaged in friendly competitive play under sparkling blue skies. Long-time SYTC members were joined by new members Ben & Maria Ianzito, Carol Rawlins, Susan Towner and Itsuko Herrema as teams battled for court supremacy.

The photo of players at the nets during the changeover after the first 30 minutes of action features new member Itsuko Herrema and long-time members Chuck St.Andre, Dave Knapp, Bill Butler, Al & Pam Hero and organizer George Noble readying his whistle to get the second 30 minutes underway. The video offers a short point from Court 1 as Itsuko and Chuck grab the lead from Dave and Bill. Players are looking forward to great tennis (and brunches) all season long!

Mini-Tennis Under Consideration for Youth Program - Adults Too?

6/9/2019

SYTC is exploring an innovative use for the backboard area at the rear of the clubhouse. This little-used area is just the right size for setting up a short mobile net for very young juniors to practice with smaller kids' rackets and the larger, lightweight red/orange and red/yellow balls now used to get juniors started in the game. We discovered quickly that this may well be a surprising attraction for our adult members as well. Check out this brief video of members Paul Silman and "Big Mike" Nicklaw in a lively exchange!

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR SUMMER JUNIORS CLINICS PROGRAM AT SOUTH YARMOUTH TENNIS CLUB

6/5/2019

The South Yarmouth Tennis Club’s NEW Juniors Tennis Program kicks off on the club’s six well-maintained clay courts Monday July 1 and runs for eight weeks until August 23. Clinics for age groups 5-9, 10-13 and 13-18 operate Monday-Wednesday-Friday 12:30 – 2:30 and Tuesday-Thursday 10:30 – Noon. Clinics are available for one week, multiple weeks or the entire season. Participation in single sessions on a drop-in basis is also welcome. Parental viewing is available on the club’s comfortable, shaded patio adjacent to the courts.

Under the direction of new Head Pro Doug Leonard and Teaching Pros Jack Andre, Ken Huckins and Jamie Wyeth, players are grouped by age and skill, learning footwork, movement, hand-eye coordination, stroke mechanics and court etiquette in drills with a high FUN factor. Every player receives individual attention and focus, including the program’s newest feature - video review available to players and parents. “Kids of all ages learn tennis best by watching correct technique for how to strike the ball and move on the court”, Doug says. “When they watch themselves on video, they see immediately what they’re doing right and what needs to improve. It’s a great feedback technique.”

Teaching Pro Jack Andre, a member of the Union College Varsity Tennis team, knows the value of training on clay courts. “Clay is an ideal surface for youth tennis. The ball moves more slowly than on hard courts, giving younger players at every level a better chance to learn, practice and succeed. Positive reinforcement is essential! At South Yarmouth Tennis, we’re committed to training the next generation of champions.”

For more information and a downloadable brochure CLICK HERE.

Memorial Day Highlights on Court 1

5/28/2019

Memorial Day 2019 saw exciting action on several courts, highlighted by a spirited practice between long-time members Dan Reida and Jimmy "Hollywood" Bisazza.
In the slow-motion video below, check out Jimmy's technique, posture, footwork and forward movement as he makes a tough low volley on a ball Dan hit at his feet. There's much to be admired in this shot and in Jimmy's recovery and positioning while he prepares to hit a second volley that never came. Then enjoy an all-in-fun practice point that begins with Dan serving and ends with....well, you'll see.

Yarmouth's Own Jack Andre Named Teaching Pro at South Yarmouth Tennis Club

5/20/2019

Jack Andre pictured in front row second from left

The South Yarmouth Tennis Club is pleased to announce that Cape Cod high school tennis standout Jack Andre has been named as a Teaching Pro at the club this summer.

Jack Andre is a Yarmouth native and a 2018 graduate of Sturgis Charter Public High School. He played on the varsity tennis team all four years and finished his senior year with a 17-1 singles record in the Cape & Islands League. He posted a 69-3 individual singles record in high school, captained the tennis team as a junior and senior, and was named the Cape and Islands League Most Valuable Player as a senior. He recently completed his Freshman year at Union College, Schenectady, New York, where he studies economics and mathematics and plays on the Men's Tennis Team. He participated in the South Yarmouth Tennis Juniors Program, in his early years, where he was able to develop his skills in a competitive setting. Jack taught in the Yarmouth Parks & Recreation summer tennis program for six years at Sandy Pond.

“Having coached Jack for his 4 yrs of high school tennis, and supervised him for the last 2 summers at the Yarmouth Parks & Recreation Tennis program, I can attest to the fact that he will be a welcomed addition to the SYTC staff,” said Ken Huckins, SYTC Associate Manager. “The enthusiasm, knowledge and ability to play high-level tennis that Jack brings to the club will be a big plus in attracting young players.”

“You could tell that Jack was a special player from the start,” said Doug Leonard, SYTC Head Pro. “Jack’s natural ability and his willingness to learn quickly elevated him to be one of the best players in the Juniors clinics at SYTC. It will be a privilege to have Jack back - now as an instructor, in the SYTC family.”

A Busy Opening Day at SYTC

5/7/2019

Tuesday May 7 saw the SYTC season get off to a busy start on a crisp sunny afternoon.
First to take the courts was a men's doubles match on Court 2 - Pete McGee and Ben Fischler took on Paul Rooker and Peter Mercury in a match that featured spirited play and the one right-hander (Peter Mercury) outnumbered by three sinister lefties.

Not to be outdone by the play on Court 2, Patty Sakellis and Mary Morrison matched strokes, strategy and skill against Nancy Beless and Harriett Brochu (check out Harriett's unique legwarmers!) with smiles and frequent compliments and "Good shot!" calls. It was a thriller on Court 1!

Later that afternoon, SYTC Associate Manager Ken Huckins brought his Sturgis East Boys Varsity players to SYTC for a fun team practice. We wish Coach Ken and his team great luck for the rest of the high school season!

Play The Clay - The Making of Our Courts May 2, 2019

5/2/2019

On Thursday May 2, a six man crew from Cape & Islands Tennis & Track battled chilly temperatures and off-and-on rain threats to successfully install SYTC’s courts for the 2019 season. This fascinating process, which took the entire day, involves a sequence of many steps requiring great precision and professionalism. You can follow the process here in video and photo format as the friendly and hard-working crew gets the job done.

First, the surface layer of "dead" clay (the proper granular composition is typically destroyed by winter conditions) is scraped off and discarded (not pictured here).

Sixteen 80 pound bags of Har-Tru are laid out and dumped on each side of each court, shoveled laboriously onto the playing surface, and machine-swept repeatedly to create an even surface. More than six tons of new Har-tru on our courts!

The surface is rolled several times to compact the new material.

· Next, the lines are measured with extreme care and outlined in orange chalk.

New white tapes are rolled out to match the orange court outline, then tacked down by hand with large tack nails in the corners and every two feet along the center of the lines.

The most meticulous step of all: smaller finishing nails are hammered in every six inches on the inner and outer edges of every line by a wheeled nail gun. Kudos to the nail gun operator for his skilled and careful work!

The net poles are scraped and repainted, then the nets are attached to the net poles and cranked into place, and the center net straps are anchored.

Finally, the crew spreads magnesium salt crystals onto the clay surface to help maintain the optimal moisture content and ensure a court on which the ball bounces correctly and the surface remains firm.

· Success – Thank you Cape & Islands Tennis & Track! We are ready to Play The Clay 2019!

New Look SYTC Gear Now Available

4/27/2019

Check out Steve Francis and Stan Werlin sporting the newest SYTC tennis gear. A must-have for every member! The hat is lightweight, adjustable and features the SYTC logo prominently in bright blue and black. A great buy at $20!

<<Previous

Forward>>