APTA Makes Historic Trip to Atlanta for Annual Mtg

Atlanta / Cherokee are proud to have played host to the Board of the American Platform Tennis Association for the 2010 Annual Meeting and Board retreat. For the first time ever in the 75 years of the APTA, the meeting was held in a city not normally thought of as platform tennis central. Recent meetings have been held in paddle strong holds such as Long Island, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Phily etc. This year, as a result of the explosive growth of paddle in Atlanta, and more broadly the South, the Board elected to come check it all out in person. The meetings were held at the lovely Cherokee Town Club, site of the 2 1/2 year old, two court paddle venue. In turn, the board retreated to Peter Lauer's house for cocktails and dessert with lots of Members of the Peachtree Paddle League, sponsors and other VIPs of paddle invited. Thanks to all of you who came out to greet the Board and show the colors of Atlanta Paddle.

Five members of the APTA Board also took an excursion out to the Racquet Club of the South (RCS) - made famous by Melanie Oudin - to see the fruits of their grant / investment in the brand new two court paddle venue. Steve Gareleck, Rem Reynolds & Todd Assini took the Board Members on a tour of the Club and shared their plans to grow paddle among the Members of RCS, and the broader community of future players in the Northeast quadrant of greater Atlanta.

Tim McAvoy, APTA President and Phily native, remarked of the Board's trip to Atlanta; "it is terrific to see the sport catching hold in the South among the huge tennis community, which is a testament to both the sport and how much fun it is to play, and the efforts of Peter Lauer, outgoing Region VII President and now Chair of the APTA Growth Committee, and the various other paddle VIPs in Atlanta - they're getting it done, which aligns perfectly with the mission of the APTA...to grow this great sport!"