President’s Letter July 2020
 

Dear Subscriber First Name,

Maybe these strange times have some lessons embedded in them. If only we can learn them! As the battle with the virus rages, it brings us face to face with some of the realities of nature. We are not the masters of the universe that we sometimes pretend we are. We’re not even the sole rulers of this planet, and we can’t simply impose our will upon the natural order. And we’re sooo interdependent!

So, what are we to take from this global pandemic that recognizes no borders? That maybe life is even more fragile than we realized, and possibly more precious? That perhaps we need to learn to appreciate the “ordinary” moments rather than waiting for outside events to make us happy? That happiness comes from within, despite the alluring pull of the external world? That although we can’t always avoid the storms in our lives, we can learn to control our responses? That in every moment, the quality of our lives is at stake?

The tennis world is in flux. We, here at NSMTA, are trying to keep you apprised of the various decisions that the major tennis bodies are making. Dates for events are being juggled and cancelled, and guidelines for staying safe and still being able to play are being issued. While the Tournament List is open to members only, we will continue to provide free access to Coronavirus Content, including important news and useful information regarding the virus and its impact on tennis.

We’re putting up new stuff on the website all the time, and continually adding items to the NSMTA Pro Shop, so check in to see what’s new. And if there are apparel items with our logo on them that you’d like to see in our Pro Shop, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

As always, we would love for you to let your tennis buddies know about the NSMTA. Head over to nsmta.net to view our website, learn who we are and become part of our senior men’s tennis organization. We’ve added over 300 new members this year and need the support of every one of you to accomplish our mission.

Look out for an upcoming email from the NSMTA regarding the USTA’s changes regarding tournaments for 2020.

Jimmy Parker
NSMTA President
 

Tennis + Family = Gold Balls

For our next member spotlight, Ed Trost talked with Tom Rettenmaier, who took up tennis in high school, making him a three-sport athlete. Alongside his late wife Karen, he competed in multiple tournaments each year, and the tradition continued with their children, where he played in many Father-Son and Father-Daughter tournaments. Get to know Tom, his zest for tennis and family, and how he blended the two things he loved the most together.
Read More

The Club Where It Happened: Notes on the Origins of USTA Men’s 55+ National Tournaments

How did the Knoxville Tennis Club make USTA history in October of 1963? It staged the first USTA 55+ National Men’s Tennis Tournament, an event that ignited super-senior tennis, as we know it today. In future years, national tournaments for divisions from 60 to 90 blossomed around the country. Tennis lover Charles Maland, a longtime senior player and University of Tennessee professor, researched this seminal tournament and chronicled its highlights in this engrossing story.
Read More
 

Copyright © 2020 National Senior Men's Tennis Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because we have received your contact info as a senior tennis player from other sources who identified you as someone who may be interested in our organization or because you opted in via our website.