Bluffton Today Open Update Announced
Bluffton Today Tournament Founder Robert Brown announces today several tournament updates for the third annual charity BTO played at Bluffton High, Palmetto Bluff, Hampton Hall, Shell Hall, and Oldfield. The tournament benefiting the courts at Bluffton Recreation Center, financially disadvantaged local tennis children, and the fund to build new public courts in Bluffton has a few new wrinkles this year acording to Brown. “First off, we welcome new sponsors Holiday Inn Express of Bluffton, Chic-Fil-A, Bluffton Family Chiropractic, and O’Neill Power Equipment. New also this year is a fun Beat the Pro Contest held as dinner entertainment on Saturday night where players can compete for prizes and bragging rights against some local tennis “celebs”. The public is invited to free viewing of all events. There will be some surprises here. Also, dinner on the grounds this year will be catered by Moes and Saturday morning breakfast will be provided by Chi-Fil-A”.
The format is new this year also featuring combined ratings totaling 5.0,6.0,7.0 and 8.0 (Mixed, Mens and Womens plus Juniors)which allows for 3.0’s and 4.0’s to combine for a 7.0 team. There is a silent auction which should be shown in the paper and possibly on-line with some great and different items to bid, again with all proceeds going to the growing tennis cause.
“I am always excited about the Child/Adult Contest in it’s second year where you can play with your child or we provide you with one in a fun environment. This is a growing part of our efforts. The tournament, now in it’s third year is played on beautiful sites with great prizes professionally run by Gavin Cox of Low Country Sports Network”, Brown went on to say.
Entry forms are available at BlufftonToday.com,blufftontennis.com,at Bluffton High, Players World of Sports on Hilton Head Island or by calling Brown at 290-2833.
Junior Team Tennis Spring - Summer 08 Gets Underway
Junior Team Tennis 08, administered by PTI, will open registration on May 1 (through June 1) for the Spring Summer League with matches to begin late in May JTT is a product of USTA where kids ages 6 -18 can compete in a team format featuring Boys/Girls Singles and doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. The Fall 07 season was a huge success with a record number of team’s rostering 145 Beaufort County kids by opening up new play divisions such as 12 and Under Beginner and 14 and Under Intermediate. Two local teams from this past season as well as the winners of this coming season, assuming they are different teams, will represent our area at the State Championships in July in Sumter, SC. Winning beyond that leads to a Regional and National Championship.
The Spring season, ideally timed in between the concluding Boys High School season, school end and before the High School Girls season is a perfect way to keep a racquet in kid’s hands, prepare for tournament play as well as high school jv – varsity even college playing. Scoring is Pro-sets with cumulative games won adding to the team’s total. Most games won during match and season win. All stats and standings are collected and displayed on Tennislink (under Team Tennis – sctennis.com). This scoring is conducive to team bonding and point focus. If the response level is high for 6 – 10 year old beginners, the USTA Quick Start (modified equipment and court size) will be incorporated in JTT.
USTA Membership is required (special Jr. rate) and a team fee of about $50 includes matches, practice session, balls, refreshments, a year ending party and a team tee shirt. In the past JTT featured teams from Hilton Head Island, Beaufort and Bluffton and boasts of high caliber coaching to include the likes of Dan Santurum, Scott Nichols, Patrick Mason, several pros from Palmetto Dunes and Local League Coordinator Robert Brown saying”We hope to see our numbers even higher by adding new teams plus a new division 14 and Under Beginners. We don’t want to turn any child away”.
More information regarding open teams, coaching, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities can be obtained through Brown at 290-2833. Visit the USTA or Sctennis.com web sites to learn more.
Quickstart Tennis at Hampton Hall
Lowcountry Sports Network has announced the start of a new USTA product called Quickstart Tennis. This is a new program using smaller courts, nets, racquets and slower balls for 10 and under kids. Please see the attached flyer or contact Lowcountry Sports Network at 816-2033 or 816-1665.
Buckwalter Community Tennis Court Petition
We are in desperate need of additional tennis courts in Bluffton. PLEASE click on the following link that we are going to send to Beaufort County to put the New Buckwalter Community Tennis Courts to the top of the list. The facility is going to have 13 courts with 1 Championship “Stadium Type” Court.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/buckwalter-community-park-tennis-courts
New Off Island League Announced
Groundwork in Place for 2 Area Leagues
Get Ready…Get Set…SPLIT: The Bridge Will Separate Super Seniors Next Fall
The foundation for separating the area’s USTA Leagues into two systems was laid today, establishing “The Bridge” as the dividing line and the fall Super Senior season as starting point.
Although details could vary from rating level to rating level, basically the current Hilton Head Island league system will remain in place for HHI teams and To Be Named* will take over and operate a separate system of teams from Moss Creek to Greater Bluffton to Sun City to Beaufort and The Islands — Callawassie, Dataw, Fripp, etc.
South Carolina State League Coordinator Mary Goins conducted today’s groundwork (and groundbreaking) session with about 25 attendees from the various off-HHI tennis communities. A second session will take place in about 10 days to continue the planning and set up the staff to administer the new league area. Positions to be filled include a local league coordinator, vice president, secretary, treasurer and two level coordinators.
HHI Local League Coordinator Jackie Reynecke, Senior Men’s Coordinator Don Grider and Senior Women’s Coordinator Mary Ellen Arboe joined Goins today to set up the founding organization strategy.
“The new league area will govern itself,” Goins said, citing the current 147 Hilton Head Island teams and 103 from off-HHI as a solid base for establishing the two leagues. It will operate independent from the Tennis Association of HHI. Champions from the two league systems would not play off against each other, but would advance directly to the appropriate South Carolina State Championships.
Anyone interested in joining the organizing effort and/or in continuing in one of the official roles should contact Reynecke at jackie@palmettodunes.com.
*One of the first details is coming up with a name for the new playing area. “Lowcountry” is out because that already is the Charleston area designation. Got a suggestion? Email it to TENNIS E-News at banana@hargray.com and the name will be passed on to the league organizers.
Stay tuned. Much more to come. Much more. Your questions will be accepted.
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