Almonte Tennis Club

To all ATC members!

Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year from your ATC Executive! 

We want to express our sincere “Thanks” to everyone for making 2020 a safe and successful year.

Tennis proved for many to be a welcome relief to the periods of social isolation due to public health required lock-downs.

Everyone did a great job respecting social distancing, following new rules and recommended behaviour and being diligent with additional sanitizing requirements; all focused to keep COVID 19 out of our ATC community.

Our hope is to return this Spring with a full agenda and very few limitations.

Enjoy the break, stay healthy…easy on the sweets and see you all in the Spring.

Sincerely,
Your ATC Executive

When the nets come down on Monday, let’s congratulate ourselves for making it safely through this crazy pandemic season.

The weather this summer was fantastic and tennis provided an escape from isolation and a feeling that at least some part of our scheduled lives was near normal.

Diane, pictured here made the best of time and opportunity to run up 75 days of tennis this year. A pretty amazing accomplishment. Congratulations!!

See you all in 2021!!!

Prescription glasses was found at the courts this morning.

Email bill.adams@ci2i.ca if they belong to you or someone that you know.

On Sunday evening, after dark, the tennis court gate padlock was stolen while an ATC member was practicing. The member believes that a suspect of this theft was among a group of young persons on skate-boards.

The lock has been replaced and the code changed.

The new code can be obtained on the “Members Only Page” of this website. The “Members Only Page” is password protected. You were informed of this password by email when you obtained your 2020 membership.

If you are a ATC member and cannot remember or find this password, email bill.adams@ci2i.ca and the password will be provided to you.

If any member knows someone in the skateboarding community, please reach out to see if the lock can be located and returned. It is not cheap!

As a reminder, the courts will be closed for the season on November 16th.

Enjoy the remaining days of good weather.

Paul Scissons
ATC President

Good news!!

With favourable weather extending into mid-month, and in discussions with the town, the tennis nets will remain on-courts until November 16th.

My thanks to the ATC members who indicated an interest to continue play and advocated for this extension.

Our thanks to the town for their flexibility to reschedule their fall clean-up tasks.

Enjoy the mild weather and continued activity.

Paul
ATC President

Hello ATC Membership and hoping everyone is safe going into the late Fall. As I write this brief message there is a skiff of snow on the ground. The final days of playing tennis for the 2020 season are drawing nigh. We hope you had a great tennis experience in 2020!  A reminder that the nets will be removed November 1^st in cooperation with the Town’s plan of winterizing all summer recreation facilities.

We would like to thank everyone for your support in following the COVID Guidelines and Club Rules though a rather challenging time. All reports suggest we have been successful as ATC Membership in modelling what can happen when we work together.  Well done!

Please be advised that your ATC Executive Committee is continuing to work on wrapping up 2020 and preparing for the 2021 season. We are writing our committee reports, reviewing data, balancing the books and preparing budgets and recommendations for 2021.

We will be announcing the date of the Annual General Meeting for next year in the late winter. We welcome any feedback, suggestions and recommendations – please respond in the “leave a comment” section at the bottom of this page. We would encourage any person who would like to get involved with the ATC Executive to please connect with us. We welcome your questions.

I would like to express a word of “Thanks” to the ATC Membership,  the ATC Executive and the staff of the Town of Almonte for a job well done and for a successful 2020 Tennis Season in spite of COVID19.

Sincerely,

Paul Scissons
President – ATC

Greetings ATC Tennis Players

We hope you have been enjoying this beautiful late summer weather and are planning a full October of tennis. We would like to thank everyone for your efforts in keeping within the guidelines for COVID, while still enjoying some great tennis and long distance socializing on the courts. 

Our normal closing date is October 31st. We have discussed the possibility of extending our season into November with the town.

Due to the extenuating circumstances with managing COVID the town has a mandate to close recreational facilities November 1st.

We appreciate and respect the hard work and responsiveness the town has provided all season and in particular during these challenging times. 

We encourage you to maximize October and enjoy.

Stay safe!
Paul

As we bump into September it is hoped that your tennis game is improving. Covid 19 has certainly changed our recreational and social habits. Golf and tennis seem to be two sports where social distancing is more easily met. Still remember, Covid is still around; social distance on the courts and wash your hands…..

Hyacinth’s coaching posts and quizzes have been an enjoyable way to stay current and competitive, if only with yourself. For myself I am thinking a lot more when I am on the court, practicing Hyacinth’s suggestions. I’m not sure if my game has improved, but I have had more fun playing the game this year.

As always, feedback to Hyacinth on these posts is appreciated.

So off we go………

HELLO !    BONJOUR ! IT’S A WRAP !   My weekly E-connection—in summer-2020 designed to cheer you along, from a “virtual” court-side in this “covid-combat-time” during JULY and AUGUST, has featured the following …            

•[1]—FUN-FACTS (including quizzes)                    
•[2]—HELPFUL-HINTS (charting progress)                                
•[3]—PRACTICE-PLAYS (honing skills)

MERCI / THANKS    Many thanks to those who read-&-absorbed these weekly“communication-bits”, and especially to those who carved-out some time to participate, by providing me with your feedback!

YOUR NEXT STEPS   
(A)—For those who were wondering, yes—there is still time (up to and including Monday August 31st) to send-in responses for any-or-all of the 3 areas mentioned above. I will continue to tally the points earned, and everyone’s participation will be recognized towards the end of the season.   
(B)—Choose additional areas and continue practising your “Percentage-Check” as suggested in last week’s Section under “HELPFUL-HINTS”/ This practical way of keeping tabs on your progress will expand your comfort-zone, and also increase your “fun” quotient while playing this fab sport.  Sans doute.   
(C)—Try your best to complete the recent True/False Quiz. The link to the quiz is below

Every T/F answer gets a point for effort (minimum is 18-pts.) & Correct responses get double points (maximum is 36-pts.) 

CHEERS ! … 
Hyacinth-C  —613-623-0976
ATC-Pro & Adult Programme Coordinator

Cooler weather has arrived. It seems that a portion of the membership likes their tennis weather hot, hot. July made these people very happy! August seems to have brought moderate to cool temperatures. I looks like this year, everyone gets their wish. So get out and enjoy the bottom half of our ATC summer season.

Hyacinth’s Corner will be completed on July 28th, and Hyacinth is asking for feedback on her series of virtual coaching. When you have a few minutes, please respond to her with your comments. I have found myself “thinking” more when I am playing, based on Hyacinth’s posts this summer. For me it has made the game more enjoyable which in turn offers a greater incentive to play more often. What about you?

So here we go with the next coaching tips……………

SECTION#-[2]
HELPFUL-HINTS Sub-Section-[ii]:  
CHECK YOUR PERCENTAGES!

YOU may tell yourself—“I feel I’m really improving.”B-U-T you may wonder—“How can I be sure of this”?           

NO PROB  …  /  PAS DE PROBLÈME …HERE’S YOUR ANSWER

Do a Percentage-Check!WHY? 
•Easy to do  •Provides a factual response! SAMPLE OF AREAS TO CHECK
Here’s my suggested sampling of some areas that you might like to choose for checking your improvement …   
(a)->reliable placement of service   
(b)->accuracy of down-the-line approach-shots   
(c)->accuracy of cross-court approach shots   
(d)->lobs—defensive, offensive, & “sky-scraper”   
(e)->effective overhead shots & smashes   
(f)->use of various spins when serving or stroking   
(g)->alley-rally for accurate grounds—b/h + f/h   
(h)->net-play (volleys, ½-volleys, drop-shots, etc.)   
(i)->footwork (split-step, shuffling, running, etc.)   
(j)->poaching—from the left or right forecourt

And many others that you may personally wish to add to the above.

MY SUGGESTED “ACTUAL/FACTUAL” APPROACH   
At your next on-court-session, slot-in some minutes of practice-time, and proceed as follows: (good to work w/ “practice-pals”, as some areas benefit from ball-feeding, while others, e.g. the serve, are self-feeding)   
(1)•choose an area in which you’d like to improve   
(2)•take 10 balls, one at a time, and try the shot   
(3)•record your successes w/ these 10 balls   
(4)•if you make, e.g., 3 of the 10 tries, that’s 30%   
(5)•practise over the course of say, a week-or-less   
(6)•then check again with 10 balls
An increase in percentage shows your improvement. … BRAVO!!

YOUR FEEDBACK—SUMMER-2020   
As always, I welcome-&-enjoy your feedback during this summer-2020-series of my “virtual” cheering from courtside.  During this time, we have adjusted to, and coped w/, restrictions necessitated by the pandemic. Please keep in mind that e-a-c-h feedback/response earns “equi-points”, for which you will be recognized after the season ends.  So, if you wish to review some“communication-bits”, there’s still time—up to August–31st—to submit answers/comments.  These will add to points already earned … ergo, 
E-N-J-O-Y the process !

My 9-wks. of “virtual-visits” will end FRI-28th-AUG—thanks/merci, for your participation !
HYACINTH-C