USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update: September/October 2013

October 1, 2013 | By USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Team Eastern wins Church Cup
Team Eastern, coached by Jason Pasion, was bursting with pride this summer after winning the Church Cup, an achievement it has accomplished only twice before in the last 25 years of play.

This year’s Church Cup matches were played on the grass courts at the Huntington Crescent Club. In the finals, Team Eastern beat Team New England with victories by Josh Silverstein (at 17, the competition’s youngest player), Josh Levine, Eric Rubin and Andrew Yaraghi, all from Long Island. This event marked Josh Silverstein’s first time competing in a men’s open. He played first doubles and third singles and beat a player with ATP points.

The Church Cup was donated by George Myers Church in 1918 for competition between men’s teams representing Boston, New York and Philadelphia, and it continued in that format until 1932. The competition was not held between 1933 and 1945. In 1946, the competing teams represented three USTA sectional associations: USTA Eastern, USTA Middle States and USTA New England. In 1947, what is now called the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section was admitted to the competition.



 

JTT All-Stars shine
The first-ever Junior Team Tennis All-Star Competition pitted intermediate players from the USTA Long Island Region against those from the Metro Region in an action-packed competition at the West Side Tennis Club, former home of the U.S. Open in Forest Hills, N.Y.

Intermediate players in the 10U, 12U, 14U and 18U age divisions competed, with Metro taking home the championship. All participants received medals and t-shirts as well as lunch. The one-day event used the World TeamTennis format but modified it to include one additional singles match on both the girls’ and the boys’ side, thus allowing for teams of up to 10 players.



 

Rockville Racquet Team goes to Nationals
The Men’s 3.5 USTA League team, captained by Don Rodgers, had a very successful year, reaching the National Championships. The team, which plays out of Rockville Racquet Club in Rockville Centre, was 14-0 during the regular season with a total of 61 (of a possible 70) courts won, leading its closest competition (Lynbrook) by 21 courts won. The team then played in the three local playoff matches—winning each—and advanced to Sectionals with a record of 17-0.

The team remained undefeated at Sectionals, sweeping the other teams and earning the right to represent the USTA Eastern Section in the National Championships in Tucson, Ariz., with a combined record of 22-0.

Team members were: Don Rodgers, captain; Woodmere; Earl Chin, Valley Stream; Miguel Gordon, Springfield Gardens; Mike Ahearn, Massapequa Park; Prakash Pisipati, Farmingdale; Jose Rosa, Freeport; Joey Seplow, Cedarhurst; Jemal Creary, Hempstead; Rich Dacosta, Lynbrook; Johan Lood, West Hempstead; Gabe Moreira, Mineola; and Ravi Lam, Melville.

“Although we did not win the Championship in Arizona, we finished the year as better tennis players and friends while participating in one of the greatest experiences the tennis world has to offer,” said Rodgers. “After the season, the team held a special dinner for me, where they presented me with a wall plaque on which each player’s name is inscribed. I will forever cherish this special gift as well as a poster-sized team photo, which will be framed and hung in my trophy room.”



 

LI introduces kids to tennis
More than 200 young tennis players enjoyed their introduction to the sport at the USTA Long Island Region’s annual Kids’ Day in August. The event, which took place at the Baldwin High School, brought together juniors from across Long Island for a fun day of tennis learning plus games, skills contests, prizes, lunch and more. Kids Day allows tennis facilities, programs and summer camps to introduce newcomers to the sport while also giving current juniors the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new friends.

The event was chaired by USTA LI Region Board Member Terry Fontana and presented by the USTA National Junior Tennis League (NJTL), a nationwide network of community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of young people through tennis and education. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, this growing network of tennis providers shares similar values, ideals and goals.

Kids Day was sponsored by St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Astoria Federal Bank, USTA Eastern, Modell’s, USPTR, Napoli’s Pizza, Baldwin High School and the Baldwin Tennis Club.



 

NYJTL and USTA Eastern Section present Camp Eastern
Thirty-six college-bound tennis players from across the USTA Eastern Section took part in a unique training opportunity this summer, thanks to New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) and the USTA’s Eastern Section.
NYJTL is the largest tennis and education-themed community organization in the United States and offers comprehensive school and community based programs throughout New York City’s five boroughs reaching more than 75,000 youth from ages six through 18. For 40 years, NYJTL has pursued this mission by bringing the joys of tennis and education to underserved children.

The participants in NYJTL’s Camp Eastern represented all six regions in the Eastern Section: Western, Northern, Southern, Metro, New Jersey and Long Island. Players were selected by the Regional Presidents and enjoyed a five-day, four-night sleepaway tennis, educational and cultural camp in New York City. The juniors received top-notch tennis instruction plus activities including a tour of the National Tennis Center in Flushing, a seminar on career planning, a cruise on the Circle Line, a tour of Central Park and much more. Participants slept in dorms at Columbia University in Manhattan.

Tennis instruction took place at the Cary Leeds Center in Crotona Park in the South Bronx and at Riverside Park in Manhattan. The Cary Leeds Center, which is under construction, currently has 20 outdoor courts. When completed in early 2015, the 12,600-square-foot facility will feature a community center designed for use by adults and a youth clubhouse, complete with study areas. With 20 tennis courts plus two stadium courts with spectator seating for 1,000, the facility will serve all five New York City boroughs and will provide children with more than 6,000 hours of free tennis lessons and academic enrichment annually. The $22 million tennis project is being built under a public-private partnership, with funds provided both by New York City and the NYJTL through a capital campaign. For more information on the Cary Leeds Center in Crotona Park or to contribute to the capital campaign, visit www.nyjtl.org.


The USTA LI Region group prepares to attend Camp Eastern, joined by Daniel Burgess, USTA LI Region president; and Jill Fonte, USTA Eastern Section executive director


An artist’s rendition of the Cary Leeds Center
 



 

LI Region honors league captains
The LI Region honored the memories of two long-time USTA League Captains at its 23rd Annual LI Awards Dinner.

Family members of Birdie Tarulli and Blane Magee attended the emotional presentation and received awards in their memory. Next year and in each following year, the Region will present the Birdie Tarulli Women’s Sportsmanship Award to a female captain and the Blane Magee Sportsmanship Award to a male captain.

According to her friend, Sue D’Alessandro, Birdie Tarulli lived in Garden City and captained teams out of Rockville Racquet in Rockville Centre. From 2000-2004, she ran two teams (adult & senior) and then from 2005 until 2012 she added a third team (super senior). As captain, she always played her teammates first and only played herself if she was needed in the lineup. She could always be seen at the window cheering on her teammates. For many years, Birdie was very involved in the North Shore Tennis League out of Hempstead Country Club. Birdie’s “leadership and enthusiasm for tennis will certainly be missed, but not as much as her friendship,” said Sue.
According to his friend, Elliott Fleishhacker, Blane Magee also captained teams out of Rockville Racquet and lived in Rockville Centre with his wife of 33 years, Maryann, and six children (Maryclare, Kerri, Blane, Kate, Timothy and Maggie). Blane was born and raised in Massapequa Park, the third of six children. He graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse with a BA in History, and in 1978 he earned his JD from St. John’s University Law School. Previously a partner in the law firm of Agoglia Fassberg and Magee, Blane opened his own firm in 1996 and practiced in the area of personal injury law. He loved playing tennis and was a member of several USTA teams over the years. He was a dedicated and unselfish captain for almost 20 years, according to Elliott.

Birdie Tarulli was honored at the USTA League Captains 23rd Annual LI Awards Dinner

 

Beginning next year, the Blane Magee Sportsmanship Award will be presented to a male captain honoring the memory of Blane Magee


USTA Eastern Long Island Region

The USTA Eastern Long Island Region promotes the growth and development of tennis on Long Island. In particular, the Region supports Junior Team Tennis, School Tennis, USTA League Tennis, NJTL's and Community Tennis Associations.

 

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