Longtime Rockville Racquet Manager Susan Alvy Announces Her Retirement

January 31, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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Susan Alvy, manager of Rockville Racquet, is a staple of the Long Island tennis community and has decided to retire at the end of 2012. Susan will be missed by all who have come into contact with her over the past 20 years and the tennis community as a whole. Susan grew up in Lawrence and now lives in Merrick, and began working at Rockville Racquet in June of 1992.

Susan’s first job was as a gym teacher and then she was a stay at home mom before taking a position as manager of Tennis Time in Lynbrook as she thought tennis was a good fit for her having been a player since she was young. She then moved on to Rockville Racquet after getting a call from former long time manager Louise Merritt to fill that position and has never looked back. Susan loved her work experience over the last 20 years, saying, "Who could’ve asked for a better job than this? People come here everyday by choice and enjoy their experiences. If you have to work, there was no better job for me. This place has a family atmosphere and I have made lifelong friends."

Now it’s time for Susan to "spend more time with the grandkids and split her time between New York and the Florida sun."

The job of running Rockville Racquet’s day-to-day activities will now be handed off to Colleen Woods.

"I love people and that’s why I know this job is perfect for me," said Colleen.

She has learned the tricks of the trade from an expert.

“Susan told me this job is a great atmosphere to be in,” said Colleen. “It is a customer-based job and the job comes easy when you build personal relationships."

You know an employee has done a good job when they can bring their owner to tears and that happened during this interview. As we talked with Owner Cindy Ziegler, both Cindy and Susan began to cry reliving their experiences over the past 20 years.

“Susan epitomizes what the manager of a tennis club should be,” said Cindy. “She has made my life so much easier over these past 20 years. She is single-handedly responsible for the club being as successful as it has been"

The whole staff will miss Susan.

"From the day I got to Rockville Racquet, Susan has been a pleasure to work with and I’m extremely impressed with how she handles the clientele,” said Tennis Pro Freeman Boyd.

Maureen McFadzen, assistant manager of Rockville Racquet, said, "I’ve been here 16 years and I’ve had great fun working with Susan. I remember my first day when everything seemed so chaotic, but Susan’s ability to multitask was remarkable to watch and learn from. "

The Long Island tennis community should be a family. Susan Alvy’s time at Rockville Racquet should be a lesson in how accomplishing that sense of family can grow the game and make it the experience of a lifetime.
 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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