News

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April 2009

June 2009

Fifteenth Annual Recognition Luncheon, June 4, 2009

The HCCTA held its fifteenth annual Recognition Luncheon on June 4, 2009 in the Carmel High School Community Room.  Ten Hamilton County residents were honored by the HCCTA. 

Recognition Awards -- Four individuals or groups were honored for going the extra mile to promote tennis through the HCCTA

Shannyn Miller, Coach of the Year; Colin Atkinson, Volunteer of the Year; Meelyn Pandit, Student of the Year; NCAA, Corp. of the year

Scholarship Awards -- Four Hamilton County high school tennis players who were currently in good standing on their high school tennis teams, achieved academic excellence, and performed community service through HCCTA

Meelyn Pandit, Noblesville HS; Eric Murphy, Carmel HS; Andy Vissing, Hamilton Southeastern HS; Devon Strand, Hamilton Southeastern HS

Gil Kett Sportsmanship Awards -- To a boy and girl player from the HCCTA summer program who exemplifies good sportsmanship, love for tennis and a diligent work ethic; like Gil Kett, a long-time Hamilton County resident and avid tennis player/volunteer who passed away on January 20th

Jamie Masnyk, Noblesville High School and Valerie Ginther, Carmel High School

Alicia Cousins and Christine Rubeiz were honored at the 2009 HCCTA Recognition Luncheon for their four years of service on the HCCTA Student Advisory Committee. They received a personalized autograph copy of Billie Jean King's Pressure is a Privilege which is the 2009 HCCTA Community Reads book.

Alicia Cousins and Christine Rubeiz, Carmel High School

Carmel High School Girls Tennis State Champs

HCCTA Board Member and Student Advisory Committee members lead the way. Coach Sharon Rosenburgh (HCCTA board member) coached the team for a fourth state championship. Student Advisory Committee members Susie Chen and Amanda Nguyen both played varsity.                           

Community Reads Events with George Taliaferro is a Huge Success!

On Saturday, November 15, 2008 the HCCTA hosted a Dialogue with George Taliaferro, and the George Taliaferro Tribute Dinner at the Barbara S Wynne Tennis Center.  George Taliaferro was a star quarterback on Indiana University's first great football team of 1945. Four years later, in 1949, he became the first African American drafted by the NFL. Despite his not being able to eat or sleep on campus, Taliaferro returns to IU to become one of its most loved professors. He is a Gary, IN native who has lived nearly all his adult life in Bloomington crusading for the equality of all people. The award winning book about his life, Taliaferro, was our Community Reads selection last year. Author Dawn Knight, also an IU grad, attended our two events honoring George. 

Click here to learn more about the Community Reads Program.

Reading program racquet winner

Anna Perez won the HCCTA tennis racquet at the Westfield Public Library's 2008 Youth Summer Reading Program.

2008 Recognition Awards

• Margot Dwyer (not pictured) --Volunteer of the Year: She is the HCCTA co-chair of the finance committee, chair of annual giving. Her financial background has helped HCCTA with its financial planning.
• Mike Raymond (left) -- Coach of the Year: Carmel Racquet Club pro in winter and director of HCCTA Team Tennis program in Westfield during the summer. His kind, gentle manner and expert coaching skills have made this progam a huge success while motivating young players to work hard on their games and to remain good sports while doing so.
• Emily Rehberg (center) --Student of the Year: Graduating senior at Westfield High School, HCCTA Student Advisory Committee, HCCTA summer instructor, instrumental in HCCTA Community Reads and organized community service project for Westfield High School girls tennis team.
• Scott Cooper (right) --Media of the Year: Publisher/editor of Indianapolis Tennis Magazine, written numerous feature articles about HCCTA activities and board members, promotes tennis events in Hamilton County as well as central Indiana.

Click here for a list of previous recognition award winners.

HCCTA Board Member Sharon Rosenburgh wins USTA Hall of Fame Education Merit Award

For nearly 30 years Sharon Rosenburgh has been a physical education teacher and varsity girls tennis coach at Carmel High School. This school is one of the largest, wealthiest, award winning, championship laden schools in the country. You can Google Sharon Rosenburgh or Carmel High School and learn about Sharon’s national coach of the year award, her hall of fame inductions and her teams’ multiple state championships.

What you won’t learn from Google is how this barely 100-pound, small town girl can rightly be classified as the Billie Jean King of Indiana girls high school tennis. Despite the passage of Title IX in 1972, girls’ tennis in Indiana in the early 1980’s was sorely in need of restructuring. Sharon could still be categorized as a new teacher, but she met the challenge head on. She became heavily involved in the high school athletic association, the girls sports coaches association and the high school tennis coaches association. On the state, regional and national levels she wrote articles, organized conferences and workshops, and single-handedly ran tennis clinics for small schools where there was no tennis.

Today girls’ tennis teams have the same rules, format and post season events as the boys. Sharon was also instrumental in bringing team rankings, all-state teams, all-academic teams and grievance and review process to high school tennis. She also founded a girls’ all-star tournament for senior players. Sharon did not confine her tennis volunteerism to the high school arena. When former USTA president Stan Malless was tournament director of the National Clay Courts, Sharon for many years was one of his tireless volunteers. When past Education Merit Award recipient Barbara Wynne needed people to house young Russian players in her summer program, cute 10 year old Marat Safin was welcomed into Sharon’s home. Sharon was a founding member of the Hamilton County CTA. For years her teams have helped with numerous HCCTA fundraisers and served on the Student Advisory Committee. One year they made 40 Easter baskets for children whose mother’s were victims of domestic violence.

Clearly, Sharon has made a huge impact on Indiana Tennis. Thanks to her, high school girl tennis players have equal opportunity to compete on a level playing field and all high school players have more tennis opportunities and rewards by playing tennis for their high school.

Ashley Crouse Memorial Kids Tennis Event A Success

The Ashley Crouse Memorial Kids Tennis Event, presented by Carmel Pro Rajeev Ram and the Hamilton County Community Tennis Association, was held May 4 at the Carmel High School tennis courts. Ashley Crouse, a good friend of Ram’s, was an Indiana University student who graduated from Carmel High in 2002 and was tragically killed in a car accident in 2005. In honor of Ashley, there was a memorial scholarship created at Carmel High. The May 4 event raised funds for the scholarship.

USTA Flex Leagues Premiering in Indianapolis

Have you ever wanted to play matches without sticking to a weekly schedule? Are you going to be gone one week, but still want to play that match when you return? Do you want to get in some extra singles or doubles play at a time and place that works for you? Do you want to play against people your age? If you are 19-30 years old and will be residing in Chicago, Indianapolis or Cincinnati this summer there may be a league just for you! You can play singles and/or doubles, and play at a time that works for you. The cost is $35 for non-members and $25 for USTA members. Register by going to www.midwest.usta.com. Registration: May 9-June 11, Play: begins June 16 and ends August 10. John Stone—Indianapolis Coordinator, jojstone@gmail.com

HCCTA brings Barry Krauss to the Hamilton Southeastern Royal Tennis Team

College and professional football legend Barry Krauss spent thirty minutes with the Hamilton Southeastern High School Royals boys tennis team during practice on Friday morning, August 10th.Barry played college football for the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, and is well known for his goal line stop in the national championship game versus an undefeated Penn State team.

The stop was on a fourth and inches play that earned Alabama football the national championship in 1979. Barry went on to play twelve seasons in the NFL for the Colts and Dolphins, amassing over 1000 career tackles and being named team MVP in 1984 and 1989.

Barry is now active in many community service projects and boards, as a broadcaster for Alabama football and the Indianapolis Colts, and as a motivational speaker. You can read more about Barry at his website at http://barrykrauss.com/.

HCCTA Conducts Tennis Clinic at Indianapolis School for the Deaf

Christie and Helen Petersen conducted a tennis clinic a the Indianapolis School for the Deaf.

Tennis Celebration at Carmel Racquet Club

2006 HCCTA Awards Luncheon

HCCTA honored five dedicated contributors to our organization at our recent awards luncheon. Winners were:

• Logo USA Corp, winning "Corporation of the Year"
• Nat Newell, winning "Indianapolis Star Media of the Year"
• Kristin Canfield, winning "Student of the Year"
• Vanessa McGibbon, winning "Volunteer of the Year"
• Carla Gibson, winning "Coach of the Year"

We congratulate our award winners and thank them for their dedication and contributions to our mission.

Helen Moser Petersen Inducted into Indiana HS Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame

The Hamilton County Community Tennis Association board of directors helped Helen Moser Petersen celebrate her induction into the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame on February 10, 2006. She was selected for her years of volunteerism in the development of grassroots tennis in Indiana. She joins fellow HCCTA board member Sharon Rosenburgh (Carmel High School girls' tennis coach) into the Hall of Fame.

Congratulating Helen are (l-r) Carla Gibson, Sue Harris, Michelle Burns, Jenny Eccles, Vanessa McGibbon, Sharon Rosenburgh, Helen Moser Petersen, Mark Heiden, and Carolyn Freeman.

Former HCCTA Scholarship Winner Featured in NCAA Ads

Christie Petersen, former HCCTA College Scholarship recipient, was featured in national NCAA television ads during 2006 March Madness. The ads will repeat in the 2007 season. The ads showcased former collegiate athletes who are now successful professionals. Christie played varsity tennis at Hamilton Southeastern High School and Ball State University. She graduated from Ball State University in 2004 with degrees in Architecture Design and Planning, Interior Design and Architectural Landscape Design and numerous academic honors, including Student Athlete and Mortar Board. She is currently an architect with CSO / Schenkel Schultz in Indianapolis. Christie plays USTA League tennis and donates her time to Habitat for Humanity by designing homes.