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!
 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 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.  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.” 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!  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!  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!  Saturday April 27 Despite a cold dreary start early Saturday morning, great thanks go to a determined crew of members Harriet Brochu, Mike LeComte and Frank Lloyd, Manager Steve Francis and Board Members Fred Churchill, Bob Levine, Lida Lloyd, Peter Mercury and Stan Werlin all of whom worked several hours to ready SYTC for the coming season. Leaves were raked, flower and shrubbery beds cleaned, chairs and benches power-washed and positioned on courts, patio furniture staged, line brushes and court sweepers oiled and emplaced, refrigerator cleaned, gutter mucked out, and more. Frank went out on an emergency run for new tarps when Stan's older tarps became hopelessly shredded! Now we await court installation, delayed into next week by the seemingly incessant wet weather. We will all be back to Play The Clay very soon!  A big SYTC thanks to members Roger Beers, Jimmy Bisazza and Dan Reida, Manager Steve Francis, and Board Members Anne Castine, Fred Churchill, Bob Levine, Peter Mercury and Stan Werlin for heavy duty work Saturday April 20 to clean the courts and then some. We made great progress, with much additional property clean-up around the clubhouse and outside the gate in the parking area. Check out Steve Francis rolling Court 5 in the brief video below. Weather permitting, our court contractor is scheduled to install the courts Monday April 29. We expect to be open for play as soon as the contractor completes work. Please check the SYTC website for early next week for a progress update!
Each Intern will receive a free Juniors Membership at the club which provides access to the club’s six clay courts from 7:30 AM to dusk daily with no court fees, June 15 to Labor Day. Interns will provide on average approximately 6 hours of service to the club weekly.
The ideal intern will demonstrate a high degree of enthusiasm for the game of tennis, a commitment to improving their own tennis skills, a proficient level of play that enables him/her to assist instructional programs for younger players, the desire to learn and provide service to the club, and a friendly, outgoing personality. “We look forward to this exciting new program which will help to develop the players and managers of tomorrow and provide valuable experience for interns to be added to their college resume,” said Steve Francis. All interested Junior players ages 13-17 may apply online at the club's website at southyarmouthtennisclub.com. |
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