Teams are forming now for the Fall Season of JTT in Richmond.
The first of two College Week Tennis Camps took place at Willow Oaks Country Club June 24-28. There are still a few spaces available in the August 12-16 week. Get all the details.
Below are photos from the June College Week Tennis Camp.
Seven years ago, Cris Robinson was trying to figure out a way to get an intense week of training for one of his students.
From his college days at Clemson, Robinson recalled that schools are allowed 20 hours a week to work with athletes in most sports.
So Robinson began contacting some college coaches of his acquaintance, and thus was born the College Week Tennis Camps, which started as one week during the summer with five coaches but has grown into an outstanding site for aspiring juniors.
Two sessions are held each summer at Willow Oaks Country Club, where Robinson is the director of tennis. When Robinson started the program, he was the director of tennis at Robious Sports and Fitness (now Midlothian Athletic Club).
Among the coaches attending this year’s sessions are Brian Boland, who guided the University of Virginia men’s team to the NCAA championship in May, former Richmonder Bob Bayliss of Notre Dame and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Paul Kostin.
“Cris Robinson has done a remarkable job of providing these young, aspiring tennis players the opportunity to learn from some of the best college coaches in the country,” said Boland, whose Cavaliers are consistently among the top teams in the nation.
“He has a diverse group of coaches with a wealth of experience at every level of the game.”
The first camp was held in June and the second will be Aug. 12-16. There are still one or two spots open for that session, Robinson said.
These camps are primarily for tournament players with an interest in playing college tennis. They introduce youngsters 12-18 to what college team practices are like and include personalized instruction from the coaches. The fee is $595 per week.
“From the players and the coaches and the pros, I hear frequently that it’s as high-quality and as intense as any camp they’ve ever seen,” said Robinson.
“It’s unique in the sense that you have a lot of the best college coaches from around the country and you get to hear from them daily. You get to take part in what they’re teaching their own players and the type of practicing and drills they’re doing with their own teams.”
Between the morning and afternoon sessions each day, juniors will have nearly 30 hours of instruction during the week.
“The College Week Tennis Camp that Cris Robinson puts on at Willow Oaks is an unreal event,” said Virginia Tech coach Jim Thompson, one of the instructors.
“It gives the players in our state a chance to be exposed to different styles of coaching and gets them thinking about the process of choosing a college, and the relationship they might have with a coach. It also gives them a chance to play under pressure.
“Most of the children get nervous when they play in front of a college coach and so this is a great experience for them.”
Other college coaches on the list of instructors include ex-Richmonder Jay Bruner (College of Charleston), John Roddick (brother of Andy Roddick and coach at Oklahoma), Peter Daub (William and Mary), Brian Kalbas (North Carolina) and Mark Wesselink (Richmond).
In addition to Robinson, other area pros take part in the camp, including Eddie Parker (Raintree Swim and Racquet Club), Joe Cappellino (Dominion Club), Mark Bernstine (Hermitage CC), Scott Steinour (Salisbury CC) and Julie Ogborne (Country Club of Virginia).
These pros are members of the Association of Richmond Tennis Professionals, who support the camps, as does the Richmond Tennis Association.
“The RTA is proud to again support College Week Tennis Camps,” said Ginny Wortham, president of the RTA. “Cris Robinson and his team work hard to bring some of the very best college coaches in the country to Richmond.
“The quality of this camp is just one more way we know that Richmond really is a great tennis town.”
For more information or to see about signing up, call 804-320-3244 or email crobinson@willowoakscc.org.
“There is a place for everyone in college tennis,” said Boland, “and college week provides these young people the knowledge they need to make a successful transition.”
Summer vacation is almost over for the college crowd, and most of them will be heading back to school before August ends.
Some will be going for the first time, and that includes a couple of the area’s top prep tennis players.
Abigail Randolph, who played No. 1 singles for Mills Godwin High School her last three years, is going to Methodist University, a Division III school in Fayetteville, N.C., which is a member of the USA South Conference.
On the boys’ side, Brett Moorhead, who won back-to-back state Group AAA singles championships as Cosby High School’s No. 1 player, will be giving the James Madison University lineup in Harrisonburg a big boost.
Both said they have spent part of their summer preparing for the rigors of college tennis.
“I’ve been doing a lot of training and practicing,” said Randolph, who helped the Eagles win two state Group AAA girls titles and finish runner-up twice. One of the state crowns came in June when Godwin beat Colonial District rival Deep Run in the final.
“Weight training and sprint training, just to get ready for the competition because college is a little bit different. I’ve mostly been hitting with friends, just to get some match play and playing in a few tournaments.”
Taking part in such a successful program at Godwin helped prepare Randolph for life after high school.
“I think it got me ready mentally over the years of being there,” she said. “How to deal with winning and losing. Being able to communicate with your teammates. My freshman year I was really shy and didn’t know how to communicate with my teammates.
“Over the years, it got better. Finally, as a senior I could talk to them without any second thoughts.”
Randolph is hoping to wind up somewhere in the top six in singles for Methodist as a freshman and perhaps at No. 1 or 2 doubles.
“I’ve been told by some college girls that the only difference between high school and college girls is the points last a little bit longer,” said Randolph. “You have to set up points. I’ve been working on that this summer.”
Moorhead, who led Cosby into the state team tournament for the first time as a senior, has also been working hard to get ready for college competition. He played in two ITA college events, as well as the McDonald’s Mid-Atlantic Clay Court Championships at Salisbury CC.
“I’ve been working on my fitness a lot and practicing a lot,” said Moorhead. “There’s definitely a lot more stress on your body in college.”
With the Dukes losing six players to graduation, Moorhead has an excellent shot at playing in the top six in singles.
“It’s hard to say what number exactly but I feel like I’ll be in the top six,” he said.
Playing on a strong team at Cosby and capturing those state singles championships gives Moorhead plenty of confidence in making the transition.
“I think the team part of it really helped me,” he said. “Better preparing me for the whole team aspect in college. Cheering for people and helping them get over a loss. The tennis was good, too. Regionals and states were pretty competitive.
“High school tennis is a choice you have to make. but I think everybody should play it because it does prepare you for college tennis.”
Moorhead is looking forward to making the jump from high school to college.
“Just being with a whole new team on a whole new level is exciting,” he said. “Being able to travel and actually playing some of these schools that you watched and rooted for as a kid. Becoming close friends with a bunch of kids and staying with them for four years.”
Moorhead will be rooming with Mason Smith from Virginia Beach, Cape Henry Collegiate’s top player.
Other local players heading off to college for the first time include Mills Godwin’s Brittany Hsieh (Virginia) and Haylee Seidenberg (Radford), 
Cosby’s Lauren Denuel (South Carolina) and Jamie Cochran (George Mason), Grove Avenue Christian’s Kelly Stewart (Flagler) and Prince George’s Melissa Tomlin (Randolph-Macon).
Also, Deep Run’s Logan Eldridge (Christopher Newport) and Tory Brown (Fordham), Collegiate’s Connor Brewer (Villanova), Trinity’s Liam Sullivan (Samford), Douglas Freeman’s Trent Singleton (Hampden-Sydney), Armstrong’s Muhammad Gueye (Coppin State), and Varina’s Toni McDonald (Randolph-Macon).
Plenty of others will be returning to their respective schools in the near future:
Three months ago the May Battery Park Junior Open was visited by a monsoon-like all day rain on opening day that forced the cancellation of consolation brackets. The August Battery Park Junior Open finished this past weekend without canceling a single division or match, but thunder and lightning approaching from the north added excitement to the on court fireworks.
Saturday matches started without delay and progressed smoothly until early afternoon. Dark clouds threatened and a deluge was preceded by thunder and lightning. The presence of downed trees from recent previous storms near Courts 1 and 10 served as a reminder of the potential danger of straight line winds that often accompany thunderstorms.
The courts were cleared at the first sound of thunder, and players quickly reported to the tournament desk. The decision was made to suspend play for the day for safety’s sake and resume the matches in progress on Sunday morning. Sunday’s matches were rescheduled with a 90 minute delay to allow completion of matches in progress.
Players, family and friends who fled the park on Saturday before the downpour returned to the courts on Sunday under a cloudy but friendly sky to complete the tournament.
The Battery Park Junior Open Series is a joint project of the Richmond Tennis Association and the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.
Congratulations to all players for good sportsmanship exhibited and great tennis.
Boys 18 L4 Main draw
Boys 18 L4 Consolation
Boys 14 L5 Round robin
Boys 14 L4 Main draw
Boys 14 L4 Consolation
Boys 12 L5 Main draw
Boys 12 L5 Consolation
Girls 18 L5 Round robin
Girls 16 L5 Main draw
Girls 16 L5 Consolation
Girls 14 L5 Round robin
Girls 14 L4 Main draw
Girls 14 L4 Consolation
Girls 12 L5 Round robin
Girls 10 L5 Round robin
Champion: Hank Weber
Champion: Jonathan Hartson
Champion: Rishi Shankar
Champion: Siddharth Pande
Champion: James Long
Champion: George Smith
Champion: Eric McDaniel
Champion: Anne Miller
Champion: Kinsey Donovan
Champion: Sarah Blackburn
Champion: Jessica Marks
Champion: Sarah Fuhr
Champion: Alyssa McDaniel
Champion: Sahithi Vegunta
Champion: Sia Chaudry
Finalist: Rahul Jilakara
Finalist: Shashwat Pande
Runner up: Alexander Knorpp
Finalist: Kishu Chaudry
Finalist: Spencer Steward
Finalist: Ben McCormack
Finalist: Trevor Maiese
Runner up: Teresa Alvarez Moreno
Finalist: Lindsay White
Finalist: Emerald Flemming
Runner up: Cierra Turner
Finalist: Emme Levenson
Finalist: Mary Crawford
Runner up: Keely Seward
Runner up: Nayla Turpin
The Lobs & Lessons Family Open is an adult-child doubles tournament that promotes families playing a healthy lifestyle sport together. The tournament will be held Saturday, September 21st at the Mary and Frances Youth Center on the campus of VCU.
The tournament uses the QuickStart Tennis (QST) format. In addition to tennis, participants will enjoy food, prizes and an awards ceremony, in this non-elimination, round robin, family centered event. Visit the event website to register.
Download the 2013 Family Open Brochure
Family Open participants
The Davenport & Company Richmond Rated Championship is being held on Saturday, August 24th at Byrd Park. This one day, singles only event features the Champions from many local clubs rated tournaments, but is also open to the public. Men and women will compete in divisions from 3.0 to 4.5.
*Champions from club rated tournaments do not need to register.
Damian participated in the “Little Mo” regional tournament for those born in 2005. He played Ian Pearl from Aventura, Florida in a 3 hour final in Atlanta, Georgia and won 6-7, 6-4, (10-3). With this win, Damian qualified to be a top 4 seed in the National “Little Mo” in Austin, Texas October 19-21.
Damian Sancilio with his Regional “Little Mo” Champion trophy!
Way to go ladies!
Pictured: MH Bartzen, Lori Hackney, Caroline Root, Courtney Harper, Suzanne Morris, Suzanne Spence, Alison Avery
Not pictured: Karen Williamson, Missy Mauck, Stephaine Parker
Congratulations to the 5.0 Chicago Blackhawks team from Richmond who qualified for the USTA 5.0 National Championships in Indian Wells, California on September 27-29. The team posted a 4-0 record in the local league and was undefeated at the MAS Sectionals, winning both team matches 3-0 without dropping a set! Good luck in California!
Left to right: Rachel Gale, Julie Ogborne (captain), Kirsten Elim, Martha Condyles, Alicia Wise and Leslie Butterworth
Not pictured: Mason Davis, Sofia Hiort, Margie Walsh and Ginny Wortham
When their kids were younger and in preschool, Melissa and Cris Robinson watched them take part in sports like soccer after school.
The tennis-teaching husband and wife were also very involved in the United States Tennis Association’s new QuickStart program. That’s where the game is taught to children 10-and-under, using shorter courts, smaller racquets and lighter balls.
Thus was born NetPlay, an after-school program for preschool and elementary-aged children that is committed to developing a life-long love of tennis. It was developed by Cris Robinson, director of tennis at Willow Oaks Country Club.
“They [kids] were doing SoccerShots [a Richmond Kickers initiative], so we had the idea of coming up with tennis,” said Melissa, winner of 
the women’s singles title at the 2002 State Clay Court Championships at Salisbury Country Club.
“We take the nets, the balls and the racquets with us. We set everything up in parking lots or auditoriums at the schools. We started at St. Mary’s, where our kids were in preschool, and we’ve gotten more schools over the years.”
This will be the fifth year of NetPlay, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
“Normally, in elementary school, we do kindergarten through second or third grade. When we’re in the preschools, I take four, five and six-year-olds. Mainly four and five-year-olds. I’ve tried it with three-year-olds but it’s just glorified babysitting.”
The Robinsons also are involved with summer camps for Collegiate on the Blair Road campus.
“This is a great opportunity for parents to have an extra hour in their day, and their children are doing something productive and athletic while forming the basics for one of the great sports for a lifetime,” said Cris Robinson.
“It’s conveniently at the end of the school day, and the parents don’t have to travel anywhere different to pick them up.”
With the younger groups, Melissa Robinson uses simpler games and exercises.
“I do different things,” she said. “With the younger groups, we do koosh ball tosses. Racquets and koosh balls, and they toss it to each other. We use the orange [lighter] balls with the younger kids. Relays, footwork, ballhandling, ball tosses, jumping jacks.
“The idea is to get them interested in tennis and to make it accessible to the kids that don’t have access to it.
“A lot of it is fitness, too, because the four, five and six-year-olds aren’t going to hit the ball over the net to each other.”
Robinson pointed out that NetPlay can also be set up at day-care centers around town. Sessions typically range in duration from four to eight weeks, with each session lasting 45 minutes. NetPlay goes to all locations and provides all of the equipment that’s necessary.
“The biggest challenge is they get so excited about the program — and we have full capacity at nearly every school — and most of the kids want to do something more. They want to continue playing tennis, and I see them playing at other places.”
Robinson said NetPlay has probably reached over 1,000 children since the program started.
“I would like to expand but it’s hard to find people to help me on a part-time basis,” she said. “I can’t be at every school every day. My next goal is to try and get the parents involved at their preschools. I could do even more schools like that.”
To contact Melissa about helping or set up a program, she can be reached online at melissa@netplaykids.com or by calling 804-350-0668.
“Cris and I have always been big advocates of QuickStart tennis,” said Melissa. “Our kids were into the QuickStart [method], and we just wanted to get other kids into tennis. We’ve always been passionate about that, so this is the perfect way to get them started.”
The Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) is currently seeking an individual with excellent interpersonal and marketing skills to serve the greater Richmond community as the Jr. Team Tennis League Coordinator. The Jr Team Tennis Coordinator would not be an employee of RTA, but would function in this role as a contractor to RTA and USTA/Mid-Atlantic.
Since he arrived in Richmond to become the head pro at the Country Club of Virginia, Carl Clark has been known as one of the toughest competitors on the court, winning a number of city and state singles and doubles championships.
That includes two city, two state (hard court), two state (clay court) and three State Indoor crowns. The doubles championships are too numerous to mention but no matter who his partner was, the duo nearly always took home the largest piece of silverware.
As he got older, Clark could still hold his own with the younger generation but he turned his attention to the USTA’s age groups, where he picked up more trophies, and even the ITF world circuit, finishing second in the 45s singles division last year.
But as he leaves CCV to take a job in the Midwest, Clark wants to be remembered for more than just winning titles.
“I always said when I came in here, I didn’t want people to think I was just a good player,” Clark said.
“I wanted to be known more for my teaching, so I’ve tried to pay a lot of attention to that. In my teaching, I think I bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm and fun to the courts, my clinics and my lessons.
“My goal is to help people enjoy tennis, to get better, but also along the way, hopefully be a difference-maker in 
their lives, as far as sharing experiences and relationships. It’s not just about hitting balls. That part has been very rewarding.
“I wanted people to say ‘Hey, he’s not just a good player, he’s one of the best coaches, too.’”
Consider it done. Clark has certainly accomplished that goal — and much more — during his 16 years at the largest country club in the state and one of the best-known regionally for its junior and adult tennis programs, as well as promotion of the sport.
Clark, 46, is leaving to become the director of tennis at Hallbrook Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. Though much smaller than CCV, Hallbrook is recognized as one of the top private clubs in the Midwest, with seven tennis courts (four of which are covered by a bubble in the winter).
His boss at CCV, Tom Wallace (director of tennis) made this observation about Clark’s contributions at CCV:
“Instilling competitive excellence in others. Obvious growth of league involvement with CCV adults, and school teams populated with CCV juniors. Tournament training groups working during mid-day heat to prepare for competition. Old-school approach to discipline and etiquette.”
Clark not only taught that approach to the CCV juniors, but that’s how he conducted himself on the court at all times. He never complained about his opponent’s line calls and rarely said anything to the chair umpires.
Carl Clark was named USTA/Virginia Adult Player of the Year in 2012
“It’s been an evolution,” he said. “I started out with a chip on my shoulder. Most people told me what I couldn’t do. You can’t play college tennis. You can’t play pro tennis. Can’t do this. Can’t do that. Probably in my early 20s, on the court, I wasn’t too pleasant.
“But you mature over time, and figure out that mental toughness is a big part of [winning]. Playing every point like it’s your last point and not showing your opponent any emotion. Just taking things in stride. And you tend to perform a little better.”
Clark said he enjoyed all of the fierce competition when he first arrived on the local scene in the late 1990s.
“Over the years, when all the state tournaments were [in Richmond], at Raintree, here at CCV and over at Salisbury, and going through that run for about seven or eight years when I was a contender in all of them,” he said. “That was a fun ride.”
Clark also recalled the rivalry with Sean Steinour, who was the director of tennis at the Westwood Club before leaving last year to take a similar position in Charlotte, N.C. Those two had some memorable matches in the city and state tournaments.
“Sean and I had a fun rivalry,” said Clark. “We kind of upped the ante on each other. Helped each other get to the next level by winning, and the other person would work [on their game] and try a little harder the next time. We kept pushing each other.”
Clark’s most memorable tournament involved a match with Steinour in the State Indoor at CCV.
“I played Sean in the semis and beat him, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 in 31/2 hours,” he recalled. “Turned around the next afternoon and played Trevor [Spracklin]. Beat him 7-6 in the third. I just remember that as being amazing, exhausting, but fantastic, exciting tennis.
“Not being sure if you’re going to be able to walk the next day, but just coming back and beating two guys of that caliber. I’ll always remember those times. Richmond is a great tennis town. It’s a shame there aren’t as many tournaments now.”
Clark has gone on to bigger and more prestigious tournaments, however, playing for the U.S. in the past three Potter Cups, a worldwide 
competition for the men’s 45 division. The past two years, he helped his teammates to a runner-up finish.
A native of Alexandria, Clark traveled around the country growing up. He attended the University of Virginia, where he played No. 1 singles for the Cavaliers most of the time before graduating in 1989. Clark spent a few years playing in Europe before accepting a job at the Country Club of Fairfax.
But the past 16 years have been some of the most enjoyable for Clark and his family: wife, Lyn, and children, Kelsey, Hunter and Harper.
“It’s a great membership [at CCV],” he said. “Everybody has always been very supportive of my exploits in the tournament area. Not all clubs are like that. I’ve always appreciated the support I’ve gotten here and I cannot thank everyone enough.”
Now Clark is ready for a new challenge and a new opportunity halfway across the country.
“This has really been a spiritual journey for me and I know for sure that God has been planning and preparing me for this,” said Clark, whose last day at CCV was Aug. 22, “and I am thrilled to follow his will. He has made it very clear that this is where he wants me to be at this stage of my life.
“I have a great opportunity to be a difference-maker in the Heartland as far as growing the game is concerned. My goal and challenge is to bring my version of ‘extreme tennis’ to the masses in the Midwest and make them love the game like Richmond does.”
What would it be like to combine your favorite sport and your job? For most of us, this is not a possibility. For Dr. Paul Caldwell this happens every summer at the Citi Open combined ATP/WTA professional tennis event in Washington DC. http://www.citiopentennis.com . The tournament continues to draw the top players in both the women’s and men’s professional tour as it leads up to the US Open in New York. “For me it’s a dream come true, as it combines two of my favorite things. Taking care of athletes and tennis” says Dr. Caldwell. The Citi Open, formally known as the Legg Mason for many years, has been in existence since 1969 and has many famous winners from Arthur Ashe to Andre Agassi.
Dr. Caldwell, a Richmond native, practices orthopaedics and sports medicine at Tuckahoe Orthopaedics 
http://www.tuckahoeortho.com in Richmond and has a special place in his heart for tennis. Dr. Caldwell explains that, “tennis has always been a part of my life. In my family, it was expected not only learn to play, but also to play well. During my life, I have participated as player, teaching professional, coach, umpire, and tournament director, but none of these roles compares to being a tournament physician.”
Dr. Caldwell describes tennis as “a very niche sport. Even many sports medicine trained orthopaedist are not always familiar with the intricacies of tennis specific injuries. The professional players can tell if you know your stuff and having a background in tennis is essential to understand the specific stroke mechanics and training techniques.”
Having been a long time tennis player and fan, Dr. Caldwell goes on to say that “being around the game at that level is a thrill by itself, but being able to use my experience in sports medicine and Orthopaedics to help these players stay healthy and avoid injury is even better. He also notes “just as in many sports, every year the athletes become stronger and bigger and the game becomes faster, making injuries inevitable. Being able to see the players before, during and after a match makes the diagnosis and treatment so much easier.”
Dede Davis needs some time to loosen up before she plays tennis, so she got some assistance from her children in winning the women’s 3.5 division of the Davenport City Rated Championships on Saturday at Byrd Park.
Both Wil, 9, and Emmie, 7, helped Davis warm up before she began play in the round-robin portion of the final event of the year in the Davenport-sponsored city tournament.
They must have done a good job because Davis advanced to the one-set final, where she cruised past Daniela “Dany” Otto 6-1.
“My son, he can beat me,” Davis said of Wil. “He’s a good player, a good athlete. He’s very competitive. He said, ‘You better win, Mommy! Do you feel nervous?’ I said, ‘Don’t talk about it!’ It usually takes me a long time to warm up, so they really helped me.”
Davis went unbeaten (4-0) in the round-robin, including a 6-3 decision over Otto.
“When I beat her first, I thought how lucky I was to win,” said Davis, 46, who plays out of Willow Oaks Country Club. “But she’s younger and I was getting a little tired. I just lucked out. My feet were feeling kind of numb.”
Otto had gone 3-1 in the round-robin but had trouble keeping the ball in play after winning the opening game vs. Davis.
“I think it was just a lack of energy,” said Otto, 40, a technical advisor for Hauni Richmond, a German-based technical and consultancy service supplier to the cigarette industry located in Henrico County. “Usually, I need one set to warm up with a person so it was still like practice to me.”
Meanwhile, the men’s 3.0 division featured one of the most diverse finals in the history of the city tournament.
Quang “Jimmy” Nguyen, whose parents are Vietnamese, and Johnrick Pagaduan, the son of Filipino parents, battled it out for first place, with Nguyen claiming a 6-2 victory. They had not met in the round-robin.
Pagaduan, who was born in Hawaii and grew up in Virginia Beach before recently moving to Henrico County, had trouble serving in the final. He went for it on both his first and second serves and wound up with five double faults.
“The entire tournament, I was just punching it in,” said Pagaduan, who never held his serve in four tries. “I said, ‘You know what. This is the championship. I need a workout.’ But my shots were off. The last time I played this much was in ’09 in mixed doubles with my Mom.
“It’s been a long time. I just found this random tournament [online] at richmondtennis.org and said, ‘I think I’ll sign up for this before I turn 30 [on Sunday].’ So, not too bad after four years of not doing anything besides studying for college.”
Pagaduan is beginning his final year of pharmacy school at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy in Oakwood, Va.
Nguyen, 22, is also in school, having started his senior year at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is studying forensic biology. Nguyen, who was 4-0 in the round-robin, played No. 1 singles for Meadowbrook High School.
Neither player held serve during the first four games, then Nguyen held twice at love and broke Pagaduan easily twice to
win it. Pagaduan tried to take the net but Nguyen either lobbed over him or passed him.
“I usually don’t lob like that,” said Nguyen, who plays league tennis with the Belmont Recreation Club Bombers. “Normally I’m a pretty good crosscourt hitter and passer. I like a lot of pace. I think [Pagaduan] gave me the most pace of anyone.”
Afterward, Nguyen said he could have played at least another set, although none was needed.
“I’m not tired,” he said. “I work out five days a week.”
The rated tournament, which attracted 45 entries (largest in years), used no-ad scoring in the round-robin phase and regular scoring in the finals. In order to conduct the tournament in one day, one set was played instead of the normal best-of-three.
RATED TOURNAMENT FINALS
Men’s 3.0 – Quang “Jimmy” Nguyen d. Johnrick Pagaduan 6-2
Men’s 3.5 – Yalier “Rico” Fuster d. Chris Gillam 6-4
Men’s 4.0 – Mouhamed Gueye d. Tom Bryan 6-3
Men’s 4.5 – Wayne Motley d. Dan Friend 6-4
Women’s 3.0 – Jenny Orr d. Heather Barber 6-1
Women’s 3.5 – Dede Davis d. Daniela “Dany” Otto 6-1
Women’s 4.0 – Macon Rogers d. Christina Shifflett walkover
Women’s 4.5 – Maureen “Mo” Blackwood won by default
1301 Jahnke Road
Saturday, September 14th 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
RAIN HOTLINE: 646-1208
Join Richmond Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities and the Richmond Tennis Association for a morning of fun and tennis on these newly renovated courts designed for all ages.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR OPENING DAY FREE PIZZA AND PRIZES!
Register here
Deadline : 9/12/2013
To volunteer for the event sign up here
For more information, contact Victor Rizzi at (804) 646-1208 or by email at Victor.Rizzi@RichmondGov.com
Collegiate High School has long featured one of the top tennis programs in the state – both girls and boys – and now the local private school has one of the leading facilities in the country to show off those premier athletes and coaches.
The school was notified recently that the Williams-Bollettieri Tennis Center has been chosen to receive a 2013 United States Tennis Association Outstanding Facility Award.
The award program was established to stimulate high standards in tennis facilities and to recognize those facilities whose efforts make such a positive statement about the vitality of the game.
The awards were presented during the Technical Committee meeting at the USTA’s semi-annual gathering at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Sept. 1 in conjunction with the U.S. Open’s two-week run in New York.
A commemorative plaque and an outdoor sign will be given to Collegiate for posting at the facility, which is located on the Robins Campus off Blair Road in Goochland County.
“Believe it or not, we didn’t submit [something to the USTA],” said Scott Carson, Collegiate’s director of facilities management and construction. “It was submitted by Tennis Courts, Inc., which was our tennis court installer.
“They asked us for permission to do it so we assisted in their effort to apply for the award. Lo and behold. the awards came out and we got notified. We were very happy because we think it’s a world-class facility.
“There’s really not too much like it in this neck of the woods, particularly at the independent-school level. You have to go to the country club and college level to find facilities like that. So we’re very proud that we could design and build a facility of this quality.”
CHA Sports, where Carson worked before he took his current job, designed the roughly $3 million project. Some of that money came from teaching guru Nick Bollettieri and Collegiate supporter Johnny Williams.
The facility, which opened in 2010, contains 13 hard courts, one of which is a center court with seating for 100, 
and a small building that houses a team room, restrooms, kitchen, storage room, office and a central meeting place. The courts have a cushion acrylic coat.
“We have two banks of four [courts] and two banks of two, and the championship court,” said Carson.
“It has been very well received [by players and coaches]. We built those banks of four primarily for practice purposes. From a coaching standpoint, you can stand there and coach four courts at a time, which is really beneficial.
“Our coaching staff was involved in that effort. We wanted to make it as user-friendly as possible.”
The girls use the facility during the fall season, while the boys take over in the spring.
The Prep League tournament has been held at the facility, as has the Virginia Independent Schools tournament.
In addition to the tennis complex, the 177-acre grounds includes the Sam Newell Field for baseball, a softball field, 10 rectangle fields – one of which has a synthetic surface – for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, and a 3.1-mile cross-country course.
An athletic building is in the middle of the complex and contains facilities for strength and conditioning, a training room, an indoor synthetic turf room and multiple locker rooms for Collegiate and visiting teams.
The Robins Campus is about 10 minutes from the main campus on Mooreland Road and there is room for expansion, although nothing is in the pipeline at the moment, Carson said.
Charlottesville, Virginia (8/26/2013) – QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia, Inc. (QCV) is pleased to report that Nicole Parker, a QCV QuickStart PRO for the past 
two summers and a member of Longwood University’s Women’s Tennis Team, has been named a Scholar-Athlete by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). She sported a 3.7 GPA for 2012/2013. Also, the Longwood Women’s Team has received the ITA All-Academic Award for the second consecutive year.
Nicole, shown here with QCV Board member and QCV QuickStart PRO Director Rich Michaels, has taught tennis during summer school in Albemarle (for Yancey Elementary kids), Buckingham and Cumberland counties, and at Simpson Park in Esmont.
A Richmond native, Nicole is entering her senior year at Longwood, majoring in elementary education. She will do her practice-teaching at Cumberland Elementary School this fall.
Michaels says, “I don’t think I could have asked for a better inaugural QuickStart PRO than Nicole. From her first day with me in Buckingham County last summer, she was ready to go. Fresh, right out of the box! No assembly required! And in two weeks’ time or so, she begins her student teaching “partnering” assignment with Cumberland County Elementary School, teaching the same kids she taught this summer in her very first solo QuickStart PRO adventure.”
Lynda Harrill, QCV QuickStart Tennis Coordinator says, “Nicole has been the perfect QuickStart PRO. She loves kids and tennis. She is living proof of the conclusions reached in a recent USTA report — “More Than a Sport: Tennis, Health and Education” — in which the USTA surveyed over 55,000 high school students and found that tennis players do better in academics and in life than kids who play other sports or who don’t participate in sports at all. And the best part is, all the benefits of tennis apply to kids across all socio-economic groups. Tennis can be very powerful for kids who need some structure in their lives. Nicole has the passion, skills and career aspirations to make a real, hands-on difference in the lives of kids. What a role model for kids and future QuickStart PROs!”
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QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia is an all-volunteer, grassroots Community Tennis Association established in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to promote, develop and grow QuickStart Tennis in 22 counties and one independent city in central Virginia for all beginners, especially underserved youth. Visit QCV at: www.quickstartcentral.org
QCV’s Service Area includes Albemarle, Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fluvanna, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Nelson, Nottoway, Orange, Prince Edward, Powhatan and Rappahannock counties and the City of Charlottesville.
To reserve your spot for this wonderful evening celebrating our inductees and Richmond tennis please Register Here
