Dear Members,

The indoor season is upon us and before I address the indoor season, I want to recap a very busy outdoor season. First we got a lot done in the way of renovations. The new roof and siding to the Tennis Center has dramatically improved the appearance of the facility, not to mention there are absolutely no leaks when it rains now. The clay court irrigation system has been completely renovated and will dramatically improve the playability of the clay courts when we open in the spring. I want to thank everyone for being patient with the clay courts over the last month, I know they were not in the best condition after the renovations were complete. They were scarred as a result of the work and we were unable to get enough Har-Tru material to fully restore the courts. Anyone who ruined their balls as a result of the puddles on the perimeter of the courts, please see me and I will give you a new can.

Junior Development went very well this summer under the leadership of Doug. We started off with relatively small numbers, but the program has really taken off this fall and for the indoor season. Anyone who is interested in Junior Development should call the pro shop at 865-1381 for information.

The final leg of the Penn State Grand Prix was held October 14 and 15, and the weather and tennis could not have been better. I want to thank all of the members who participated in all of the Grand Prix's held at the Tennis Center. It is my hope that the 2001 Grand Prix will be bigger and better than this year's was. It is very important to us that we run events that you, the membership, are interested in. Please do not hesitate to give me your input on how we can make the Grand Prix better.

As we begin the 2000/2001 indoor season, I think it is important to let everyone know that we have four indoor courts. With having only four indoor courts we face many challenges. We struggle in having sufficient courts for our members to play, providing sufficient court times for the Men's and Women's varsity teams to conduct practices and training sessions, and not to mention, accomodating the continuing tennis instruction for many of our members. We will also be continuing our Junior Development program for the youth of our community. We can do a lot on four courts as long as we work together and respect each other's needs. By the way, if you know someone with four million dollars that would be interested in donating it for a new 8 court indoor facility, please have them give me a call at 865-1381!

A special thanks goes out to Jawaid Haider for supplying us with two of his art students to paint the wall of our tennis facility. It turned out great and certainly adds a touch of class to our facility. Thanks again Jawaid!

This is for real this time, we now accept VISA/MasterCard. You can now charge your memberships, court fees, lessons, and Pro Shop merchandise on VISA/MasterCard.

Finally, many of you knew Holmes Cathrall. The Men's Tennis Coach for Penn State for many years passed away on October 17. Anyone interested in contributing to the Holmes Cathrall Men's Tennis Scholarship Fund, we have information at the Pro Shop desk.

I hope everyone has a great indoor season. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to stop in and see me, or give me a call.

Sincerely,

Eric Dove
Supervisor, USPTA

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Penn State Tennis Center
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 865-1351