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Central Ohio Platform Tennis

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024

Scioto CC and Lakes G&CC -- COPTA Champs for 2023-24

Just as it was last year, weather conditions were perfect for fans to enjoy the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association championship on Sunday as the temperature reached 66 degrees. It may have been a bit too warm for the players to play traditional cold-weather platform though. Scioto claimed the 4.0 League championship by beating Lakes in the semis and Brookside in the finals. The 3.5 League champion was Lakes. Their route to the championship was beating New Albany in the semis and The Country Club at Muirfield Village in the final.

Scioto 4.0 - Click to team report
Lakes 3.5 - Click to team report

Going into the playoffs, Scioto led the 4.0 League with a 82% Match Winning percentage, followed by New Albany (73%), Brookside (73%), and Lakes (73%). The 3-way tie for second was broken by using head-to-head comparisons.

In 3.5, Lakes had a 79% Court Winning percentage to lead the league. Following Lakes was The Country Club at Muirfield Village (73%), Swim & Racquet-JJ (64%), and New Albany Men (59%). Several of the matches were decided by using the Total Games Won tie-breaker.

This was the second year that the league invited four teams to the playoffs. The semi-finals were played at four different locations. The 4.0 League semis took place at Scioto (Scioto beat Lakes) and New Albany (Brookside defeated New Albany). The 3.5 League semis took place at The Lakes (Lakes beat New Albany) and The Country Club at Muirfield Village (TMCCV defeated Swim & Racquet-JJ).

Special thanks to these four sites and especially to Scioto and Lakes for hosting the finals. Food and beverages were purchased by the COPTA at the finals for all of the fans and players.

Please make sure that you thank your captain. They do a great job to make all this happen. Getting your captain a gift card is a great way to say "thanks".

Please circle November 3, 2024. That will be the first match date for the 2024-25 season.

Also.. Thank you to the COPTA Board. They are Rob Martin, Bill Cseplo, Mike Lindell, Sean Byrne, Tara Meadors, and Scott Gerber. Contact them if you have an interest in participating on the board.

If your platform tennis season is coming to an end, the tennis and pickleball seasons are right around the corner. Check out the Greater Columbus Tennis Association to participate in tennis. PickleballZone.com is the place to go for the new pickleball league. In addition to the COED leagues, there will be "female 50 and over" and "male 50 and over" leagues. All of the clubs with platform tennis have adult tennis and pickleball league teams.

If your kids or friends' kids play high school tennis, check out OhioTennisZone.com. The boys season starts today (March 4) with the first day of coaching. High school matches will begin March 22.

See you next season.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2024

2023-24 Season at the Halfway Point

The perfect weather at the beginning of the season is over, because it is now winter.. The season is at its halfway point, and the number of unplayed matches is starting to pile up.

Swim & Racquet-JJ Snow Crew and Players - Click to enlarge
Olmstead - McConnell Mariotti - Bednar
Olmstead - McConnell - Click
Mariotti - Bednar
Jones - Budzik Steve Thompson
Jones - Budzik - Click to enlarge
Nick Mariotti

Conditions were cold for the January 12th matches but that did not stop Swim & Racquet-JJ from hosting New Albany Men 3.5. The temperature was 10 degree when the match started, but it was sunny and there was no wind. After shoveling the snow, the courts were ready to go at 12:55pm for the 1:00pm match.

I stopped by the match to take new team photos and a few exciting action shots. Thankfully the guys were exciting. As you would expect, it is much easier to stay warm while playing platform tennis rather than pressing the camera shutter. Since my shutter finger was numb, I had to listen for the sound of the shutter to determine if I was pressing it. Needless to say, there were a large number of photos that needed to be culled.

Click on the photos to zoom-in. I did not even need to utilize any Photoshop tricks to make these guys look athletic..

With five weeks to go, Scioto leads the 4.0 League while Lakes is #1 in 3.5. Four teams from both leagues will be invited to play in the play-offs on March 3.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

2023 Season Almost Underway

Because the weather wants to optimize our enjoyment of platform tennis, temperatures are now being adjusted to reflect this as the COPTA League begins its twelfth year this Sunday, November 5.

New Albany's LaJeunesse - Brodman - Click to enlarge
Scioto's French - Mandel - Click to enlarge

There will be seven clubs participating in both the 3.5 and 4.0 Leagues. Participating clubs include: Brookside, Elysium, Lakes, New Albany, Scioto, Swim & Racquet, The Country Club at Muirfield Village, and Worthington Hills. The Country Club at Muirfield Village (TCCMV) is new to the league this year.

There will also be additional teams. Brookside and Swim & Racquet are both fielding an additional 3.5 team. With TCCMV's new 3.5 team, that brings the total number 16 teams this winter.

This winter's schedules are now included for each team. Just click on any of the team pages to view. Note that last year's results are still included until the 2023-24 season kicks into gear. Just scroll down to view the new schedule.

The COPTA league is kicking the tires on using the APTA system, so that will run in parallel to the PlatformTennisZone.com (PTZ) system. Other cities use the APTA service because they have no PTZ-like system. The APTA does provide a PTI rating for each player but that has pros / cons associated with it. The accuracy of the PTI rating is also questionable. As a point of reference, tennis has four types of ratings (USTA, Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), TennisRecruiting.net, and the World Tennis Number) but three of those four focus primarily on singles. While the USTA is doubles-oriented, it does not change after each match and it does not attempt to portray that it is accurate by adding decimal places (a player is listed as 4.0 player, not as a 4.11 player). There is no cost for players to be included in the APTA system this year, but there will be a $35 fee if it is used next year. Tournament platform tennis players already have a PTI rating.

New this season will also be a "draft league" which will combine players from multiple clubs. This approach is used more widely in other cities, especially in Chicago.

Mike Lindell Steve Thompson
Mike Lindell - Click to enlarge
Steve Thompson

The exciting action photos are from last season's playoffs. Click to enlarge.

This is the "ugly duckling" part of the season for PlatformTennisZone as old results are archived and new results come online. PTZ will also be modified to look more similar to the PickleballZone.com site.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023

New Albany CC and Scioto CC -- COPTA Champs for 2022-23

Weather conditions were perfect for players and fans to enjoy the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association championship on Sunday. New Albany claimed the 4.0 League championship by beating Lakes in the semis and Scioto in the finals. The 3.5 League champion was Scioto. Their route to the championship was beating New Albany in the semis and Lakes in the final.

New Albany 4.0 - Click to team report
Scioto 3.5 - Click to team report

Going into the playoffs, Scioto led the 4.0 League with a 82% Match Winning percentage, followed by Lakes (64%), New Albany (55%), and Worthington Hills (55%). Lakes had a 85% Court Winning percentage to lead the 3.5 League. Scioto had 77%, New Albany - 58%, and Swim & Racquet-SM - 35%.

This is the first year where four teams in each league were invited to the playoffs. The semi-finals were played at four different locations. The 4.0 League semis took place at Scioto (Scioto beat Worthington Hills) and Worthington Hills (New Albany defeated Lakes). The 3.5 League semis took place at Lakes (Lakes beat Swim & Racquet-SM) and New Albany (New Albany defeated Scioto).

Special thanks to these four sites and especially to Scioto and Lakes for hosting the finals. Food and beverages were provided by the COPTA at the finals for all of the fans and players.

Please make sure that you thank your captain. They do a great job to make all this happen. Getting your captain a gift card is a great way to say "thanks".

Please circle November 5, 2023. That will be the first match date for the 2023-24 season.

Also.. Thank you to the COPTA Board. They are Rob Martin, Bill Cseplo, Mike Lindell, Sean Byrne, Tara Meadors, and Scott Gerber. Contact them if you have an interest in participating on the board.

If your platform tennis season is coming to an end, the tennis and pickleball seasons are right around the corner. Check out the Greater Columbus Tennis Association to participate in tennis. PickleballZone.com is the place to go for the new pickleball league. If your kids or friends' kids play tennis, check out OhioTennisZone.com. The boys season started on Monday (with matches to begin near the end of March).

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2022

2022 Season Underway

The weather has turned and platform tennis play is beginning throughout central Ohio.

WHCC Sunday AM - 10-30-2022 - Click to enlarge
COPTA Captains' Party - Click to enlarge

The Central Ohio Platform Tennis League (COPTA) begins its eleventh year with seven clubs participating in the 4.0 League and six clubs in the 3.5 League. Participating clubs include: Brookside, Elysium, Lakes, New Albany, Scioto, Swim & Racquet, and Worthington Hills. The Country Club at Muirfield Village, with its two new courts, will hopefully join the fray next fall.

As thanks for their hard work during the season, the COPTA held a party for its captains on October 24. There was food, beverage, and play.

With more money in its budget due to prior year COVID-19 restrictions, the COPTA will have bigger end-of-year parties this season. All teams will be invited even if they are not competing in the playoffs.

For more information about the league, click on COPTA League link or the drop down menu located above.

Worthington Hills members may click on Sign-up to join the web site so that they can reserve courts. Players may reserve courts one week in advance.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

WHCC, Brookside, Swim & Racquet -- COPTA Champs for 2021-22

Covid-19. Rain. Ice. Snow. The season offered a bit of everything for players this year. The season wrapped-up on Sunday in abnormally warm temperatures for the 4.0 and 3.0 championships. Conditions were a bit more paddle-like for the 3.5 championship which was held on Monday night.

Worthington Hills 4.0 - Click to team report
Brookside-DD - Click to team report
Swim & Racquet-MP - Click to team report

Worthington Hills defeated The Lakes in a rain-shortened 4.0 playoff at WHCC. WHCC won on Courts 2 and 3 before the rains came. The Court 1 battle appeared to be headed for a third set and would have likely needed another hour to complete so the match ended 2-0. There were about 20 fans in attendance. This was a repeat championship for WHCC.

Brookside-DD defeated The Lakes using the tie-break rule after each team won a court. Brookside's Court 1 won enough games to exceed The Lakes' total on Court 2 to win the title. Both the 3.0 and 3.5 Leagues field just two courts.

The 3.0 League is new this year and Swim & Racquet-MP won the first 3.0 title. S&R hosted the event against The Lakes. It, too, ended in a 1-1 tie which S&R won in a tie-break.

The league still was not quite up to speed with parties this season, but beverages and food were provided at the playoffs. Hopefully things will be back up to full speed next fall.

Expect some league team changes for next year. This may be a good time for Brookside-DD to move up to the 4.0 league and for Swim & Racquet-MP to move to 3.5. The Country Club at Muirfield Village recently built courts so they should have a team in either the 3.0 or 3.5 league. There was an attempt to have a 4.5 (or Open) league this year but the numbers did not support it.

Please make sure that you thank your captain. They do a great job to make all this happen. Getting your captain a gift card is a great way to say "thanks".

Please go ahead and circle the first Sunday in November. The league is expected to start on November 5.

Also.. Thank you to the COPTA Board. They are Rob Martin, Bill Cseplo, Mike Lindell, Sean Byrne, and Scott Gerber. Contact them if you have an interest in participating on the board. Thanks to math, your salary would be tax-free (this includes federal, state, and local taxes)..

One last also.. Thank you for paying the league fees promptly this year.

If your platform tennis season is coming to an end, the tennis and pickleball seasons are right around the corner. Check out the Greater Columbus Tennis Association to participate in tennis. PickleballZone.com is the place to go for the new pickleball league. If your kids or friends' kids play tennis, check out OhioTennisZone.com. The boys season started on Monday (with matches to begin near the end of March).

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2022

ThisWeekNews Article about COPTA League

Platform tennis received some nice recognition from The Columbus Dispatch's ThisWeekNews (TWN) to start the new year. TWN's Dave Purpura came to the Worthington Hills 4.0 versus New Albany-SB match to better understand the sport and to interview the players. He interviewed WHCC captain, John Lindaman, as well as WHCC's Lance Thompson, Jerry Thompson, and Scott Gerber. He also spoke with New Albany's Ed Carter, Franz Geiger, and Captain Sean Byrne. Also accompanying Purpura was photographer, Gaelen Morse.

WHCC's Lance Thompson (from'17) - Click to enlarge
Purpura Interviewing UA's Basil- Click to enlarge

Click to read the ThisWeekNews' article.

Special thanks to Dave for preparing this article. Not only did he come early to hit a few platform tennis balls and to talk with players, but he also stayed until all of the matches were decided.

Many have probably seen Purpura at high school sporting events. He covers the following high schools for TWN: Upper Arlington, New Albany, DeSales, Wellington, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Westerville North, and Canal Winchester. Please tell him "thanks for covering platform tennis" if you see him at your local high school game. Follow him on Twitter at @ThisWeekDave.

For those interested in more information about platform tennis or the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association (COPTA) League, please submit a Feedback.

Click League Information to get all of the rankings.

The season will be at the halfway point this coming Sunday.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021

Week 2 Versus Week 1

By comparing the featured team's photo from last week with this week, it is clear that we live in Ohio.. About half of the teams competed while the others took the day off to watch football and to stare out their windows.

Swim & Racquet-MP 3.0
Swim & Racquet-MP 3.0 - Click to team page

PTZ dropped by the Swim & Racquet-SM 3.0 versus S&R-MP match to check out the conditions and to take photos. The conditions were about as bad as it could get. The snow and steam from the courts made visibility difficult, and the ball was skidding on some serves. That said - tournaments are routinely played in these conditions.

Teams that did not play need to get their matches rescheduled soon. Please do not report scores until the entire match is completed. And, of course, do not report scores using text messages, emails, Morse code, or steam signals (from your court). Entering scores via PTZ is the only option.

Today's featured team is Swim & Racquet-MP Men 3.0. Mike Plessinger is their captain. They won their match against Swim & Racquet-SM Men 3.0.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021

2021 COPTA Season Underway

The 2021 season is now underway and it started on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. No, it was not ideal platform tennis weather, but it sure beat a rainy day.

There were significant changes made to the league this year. A new 3.0 League was added. Elysium rejoined the league with a 4.0 team. PlatformTennisZone was enhanced to allow captains to enter scores and make roster changes.

Scioto CC 3.5 Team - Click to enlarge

The leagues were reviewed to determine how they could be modified to include more players and to provide more competitive matches. A new two-court 3.0 League was added. It includes teams from Brookside, Lakes, and two from Swim & Racquet. The 3.0 League will also be more welcoming to clubs which are new to the sport. A future example of this will likely be The Country Club at Muirfield Village which should have courts available for next season. An Open Division League was also investigated but there were not enough players and clubs to support it. (The higher level players may still compete on the 4.0 teams on court one with prior communication and approval from both captains.) To view all of the teams, click on the Main Menu Bar above >> COPTA League >>Teams.

PlatformTennisZone (PTZ) was revamped with more functionality. Captains may now adjust rosters, prepare line-ups, and submit scores via PTZ. Can captains still report scores via a long series of text messages with partial information? Given how much fun it was to stitch all of those separate text messages together to make one complete score, no.. The system is easy to use, plus help will be provided to get captains up to speed. For those familiar with the summer, coed PickleballZone league, PlatformTennisZone functionality will be very similar.

Today's featured team is Scioto Country Club 3.5. Their captain is Blake Estes. They started off the season with a win over Brookside-BZ. As is clear with their apparel choices, it was a great fall day.

For yesterday's results, click on the Main Menu Bar above >> COPTA League >> Stats | Info >> Previous Day Match Results. [One score has still not been reported.]

Please get your league payments into Rob Martin.

Good luck this season!

SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2021

New Albany-SL and WHCC -- COPTA Champs

It was a cold, snowy winter, but platform tennis provided the relief that everyone needed against COVID-19. The season started with uncertainty, but it ended on a perfect platform tennis day with ideal, cool temperatures.

New Albany-SL 3.5 Team - Click to enlarge
Worthington Hills 4.0 - Click to enlarge

Swim & Racquet hosted the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association 3.5 playoffs that pitted the number one seed, New Albany-SL, versus The Lakes. The match ended in a 1-1 tie but New Albany had a one game edge in the contest so they won the championship. Shaun LaJeunesse is the captain of the New Albany-SL team and The Lakes' captain is Steve Wylie.

In the 4.0 League, it was #1 seed Lakes versus Worthington Hills. Worthington Hill narrowly made the playoffs in the previous week's competition by beating The Lakes, and WHCC was able to repeat with another win in the finals.

There were no parties this year because of the virus, but hopefully things will return to normal for next year's leagues. Circle the calendar for a potential kick-off party on October 31, 2021. The first match will be on the first Sunday in November, which is November 6.

Make sure that you thank your captain. They do a great job to make all this happen. Look for next year's captain's meeting to be in early October (i.e. Monday, October 4).

Hopefully there will be a couple of addtional teams next fall. It would be nice to have a 4.5 League but the numbers are probably not quite there yet.

Also.. Thank you to the COPTA Board. They are Rob Martin, Bill Cseplo, Mike Lindell, Sean Byrne, and Scott Gerber. Contact us if you have an interest in participating on the board. You will start out at the same salary as we do, plus it is all tax free..

One last also.. Thank you for paying the league fees promptly this year.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021

Two 3.5 Teams Compete on a Miserably Perfect Day

It was a snowy, cold, gray day (or in other words, perfect) for platform tennis at Brookside on Sunday. Brookside hosted Scioto 3.5 in a 3.5 League match. It was a good battle and the teams finished tied at 1-1. (Click on the above links for more team information.)

Brookside's Andy Effler and Eric O'Brien - Click to enlarge

Brookside is the newest club in the league and they have two heated courts that were added last year. They currently utilize a screened-in patio during these COVID-19 times for their "hut" area, and it includes three umbrella propane heaters to keep players warm'ish.

Brookside hopes to add a 4.0 team to the league next year under the tutelage of pros, Rob Postma and Will Thieman.

Click Sunday Results for the most recent league results.

Click COPTA League for more general information.

There were numerous photos taken taken on Sunday. Click on the posted images to enlarge them. Click on AJ Mangan and Andy Gephart to view their photos. There were also new team photos taken.

Brookside's Andy Effler and Eric O'Brien - Click to enlarge
Scioto's Emmit Bahnson and DJ Effler - Click to enlarge

These are copyrighted images but non-copyrighted images are available for purchase. Non-copyrighted images can be used for personal use and/or at the clubs to promote the sport to other members.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021

COPTA League Reaches Season Halfway Point

It was a perfect day to play as teams competed in the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association (COPTA) League today. With players avoiding going inside huts due to COVID-19, it was a great day to watch matches outside as temperatures reached 39 degrees under sunny skies.

Swim & Racquet's Tommy Freiburger - Click to enlarge

There are 11 teams in the 3.5 and 4.0 level leagues. The clubs competing include Brookside 3.5, Lakes (3.5, 4.0), New Albany (RP 3.5, SL 3.5, 4.0), Scioto (3.5, 4.0), Swim & Racquet (3.5, 4.0), and Worthington Hills 4.0. Click on the above links for more information and results for each team.

Click Sunday Results for the most recent results.

Click COPTA League for more general information.

The league successfully finished last year's season immediately before COVID-19 restrictions hit. The champions from last year were New Albany in the 3.5 league and Lakes in 4.0.

Lakes' Doug Ganim and S&R's Rob Martin - Click to enlarge
Lakes' Ed Davidson and Brian Sanford - Click to enlarge

These photos are from the Swim & Racquet 4.0 versus New Albany 4.0 league match that was played on January 10. Click on the images to enlarge.

These are copyrighted images but non-copyrighted images are available for purchase. Non-copyrighted images can be used for personal use and/or at the clubs to promote the sport to other members.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019

New Facilities and New Courts in Central Ohio

There is additional money being invested in platform tennis at three central Ohio clubs this winter.

Worthington Hills Country is replacing their hut which was built in the 1970's. The new hut will be approximately twice the size of their old hut. The WHCC courts have been available for play, but to get out of the weather, members have to go to a tent or to the unfinished building. The new hut should be available soon after Christmas.

Worthington Hills CC - Click to enlarge

Scioto Country Club moved their courts down the hill to accommodate a new building. Scioto's new hut and their courts are expected to be available soon. The courts are currently not playable.

Brookside built two new courts. It is next to their tennis facility. It is ready to roll. Hopefully, Brookside will have players ready to compete in the 3.5 League soon.

Click on the images to enlarge.

SCC / Brookside - Click to enlarge

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2019

Central Ohio Platform Tennis League Underway

And away we go.. Five clubs will be participating in this year's Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association (COPTA) platform tennis league. They include: Lakes, New Albany, Scioto Country Club, Swim & Racquet, and Worthington Hills. This is the eighth year for the league.

Ed Davidson at the Kick-off Party- Click to enlarge

Some of the changes for this year include: an emphasis to not have defaulted courts, an end-of-season playoff between the top two teams, and the renaming of the 3.0 League division to 3.5.

As was the case last year, the cost for the 4.0 League is $150 and the 3.5 League cost is $100. The 4.0 League fields three courts each contest while the 3.5 League fields two courts.

The league is a non-profit run by Bill Cseplo, Rob Martin, Mike Lindell, and Scott Gerber. None of us benefit monetarily. Our only compensation is the joy that we experience from watching fellow platform tennis players as they compete for glory, or not..

Click on League Information above for the results and more information about each team.

See your club manager and/or captain if interested in competing in the league.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2018

2018 Paddle League Underway

The weather was perfect as the Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association (COPTA) started its leagues on November 4. There are two leagues again this year - one at a 3.0 level and another at 4.0. The 3.0 League will field two courts per match this year while the 4.0 League will continue to field three. The clubs fielding teams (and number) are: Elysium (1), Lakes (3), New Albany (3), Scioto (2), Swim & Racquet (2), and Worthington Hills (2). This is the seventh year that there has been league play in Central Ohio.

Kick-off Party photos - Click to enlarge
The COPTA Season Kick-Off Party was held in the rain at Lakes Golf and Country Club on Sunday, October 29. Attendance was as you would expect on a rainy day, but those who played had a good time and drank everyone else's adult beverages and ate their chips (which included Chex Mix).

To follow all of the league action, click on League Information.

Click to view the all-important League Captains.

For those familiar with the OhioTennisZone.com web site, this web site utilizes much of its software. The OhioTennisZone web site primarily covers Ohio high school tennis on a state-wide basis.

The COPTA consists of Bill Cseplo (president), Rob Martin (treasurer), and Scott Gerber (scores / web site) and the goal is to promote and increase platform tennis play in central Ohio.

APRIL 2018

Worthington Hills Wins APTA National 4.0 League Tournament

The weather was abysmal but the play was not as the Worthington Hills 4.0 team won the American Platform Tennis Association tournament in Chicago in mid-April. The weather was a smorgasbord of bad. The weather alternated between rain, snow, sleet, fog, and drizzle.

The good news is that the paddle facilities were a paddle tennis player's paradise. For those going to heaven, this is a preview of things to come..

Photos from the tournament - Click to enlarge

Things did not start out well in its first three matches for Worthington Hills on Saturday. The first two matches were losses but they were somewhat close. WHCC was then beaten soundly in its third match.

As it turned out, Saturday was a seeding round to insure that WHCC was a 4.0 team. The other teams WHCC played were 4.5, 4.5, and 5.0 teams. Sunday turned out much better as WHCC faced other 4.0 teams and WHCC won those matches decisively. As for the teams WHCC played on Saturday, the two 4.5 teams were in the finals against each other and the 5.0 team won their respective championship.

The WHCC team consisted of Brad Marquis (the super captain), Frank Heil, Martin Roesch, Bob Birzer, Scott Gerber, Eric Lothes, John Lindaman, and Rob Martin. Other members of the WHCC entourage included Kathy Gerber, Pam Birzer, Heather Lindaman, and Pam Heil.

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2018

End-of-Season Party - WHCC 4.0 and Lakes 3.0 - League Winners

The weather was perfect as the Central Ohio Platform Tennis League finished its regular season yesterday. The event was hosted by Elysium Tennis and there were approximately 35 players who participated. There was plenty of City Barbecue food remaining as players jumped from one match to another. Using an abbreviated format, guys played a total of six games and then allowed others to play. Through much perseverance, the guys did step up and complete the task of "cleaning up" the adult beverages. The Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association (COPTA) charged each player $10 to participate and the COPTA picked up the rest of the cost using league fees.

Party Photo (partial group) - Click to enlarge
The final league standings ended with Worthington Hills on top with a13-1 record in the 4.0 League. New Albany came in second. With an 8-3 record, Lakes finished first in 3.0 and New Albany was second. The plaques are not "in the mail" yet, but they will be eventually. For the rest of the league standings, click on League Information.

Speaking of league fees... If your club has not yet paid, please get that check into Rob Martin pronto. Any money left in the budget goes toward promoting the sport of platform tennis in central Ohio. Think of the COPTA (Central Ohio Platform Tennis Association) as a mini-GCTA (Greater Columbus Tennis Association). In future years, it would be great to offer players 3.5 and 4.5 leagues. Before expansion though, we need to greatly reduce the number of court defaults that take place each Sunday.

WHCC - 4.0 League Champs - Click to enlarge
The COPTA (Bill Cseplo (President), Rob Martin (Treasurer), and Scott Gerber (web site | league) will be soliciting feedback on ways to make the league better for next year. Please write down your thoughts now while everything is still fresh in your minds.

Many clubs will continue to play until March, but most do not have summer league activities. For those who want to play in the summer, Elysium offers a summer league on Tuesday nights. It matches players of similar abilities to compete using a court 1, 2, 3, 4 format. Teams consist of men and women players.

The bright sun made it great to linger outside, but it made picture taking challenging because of the harsh shadows. (Harsh shadows cause parts of the photo to be too bright while other parts are too dark. It is especially problematic when players where hats) To the right are some of the better photos. Click on any photo to enlarge.

There continues to be a debate on when players become too good for the 4.0 League. The main objective is for people to play. While it is important that the matches be competitive, we would rather error in including the better players until a 4.5 league is formed.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Columbus Open Results

The weather was largely cooperative for this weekend's Columbus Open. Temperatures started at a chilly 12 degrees for the Men's 90's and Women's tournaments on Friday, but friendly, cloudy skies and warmer temperatures were the norm for the Men's Open tournament that was held on Saturday.

Photos from the Columbus Open Tournament - Click to enlarge
Scott Kahler and John Nichols of Pittsburgh won the Open Division by beating Columbus' Brian Heil and Mark Berry, 7-5, 7-5.

Columbus' Jill Gilbert and Dori Easdale won the Women's Division. They defeated Chagrin Fall's Meghan Trombold and Pittsburgh's Spencer Caravaggio in a 3-setter by the score of 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

In the Men's 90's, Columbus' Mark Berry and Colin LeVeque became the champs by defeating Chicago's Jeff Martin and Brad Nassar in the finals.

Click on the photos on the right to enlarge them. Player names are included.

Lunch for both of the men's tournaments was held at Scioto Country Club. Elysium hosted the lunch for the women's tournament.

There were 19 teams in the Men's 90's and 21 teams in the Men's Open division.

The host clubs were Scioto Country Club and Elysium. Other clubs that graciously donated their courts for the tournament included: Worthington Hills Country Club, Swim & Racquet Club, and Rocky Fork Hunt and Country Club.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2017

Platform Tennis League Update

The league takes a break due to the upcoming Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Lakes's Mike Lindell - Click to enlarge
After the sixth week of play, New Albany and Worthington Hills are tied for the lead in the 4.0 League. New Albany beat Worthington Hills at their home match on November 5th by the score of 2-1, and WHCC returned the favor on December 16th by beating New Albany by the same score. Both teams have 5-1 records.  Swim & Racquet 4.0 is in third place.

In the 3.0 League, Lakes and New Albany are tied for the lead.  They are both 3-2.

Click to view the records of all of the teams.

There have been 109 players who have competed thus far (and there are likely more than that since some line-ups have been incomplete).

League play will resume on January 7th.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017

And Away We Go with the Columbus Platform Tennis League...

The platform tennis league will begin play on Sunday, November 5. There will be teams from Elysium, Lakes, New Albany, Scioto, Swim & Racquet, and Worthington Hills. The nomenclature was changed this year from "B" and "C" leagues to 4.0 and 3.0 leagues, respectively. Players will likely range from 4.5-3.5 in the 4.0 league and 2.8-3.5 in the 3.0 league. In years to come, there will likely also be 3.5 and 4.5 leagues.

WHCC's Brad Marquis - Click to enlarge

To kick-off the season, there was a cleverly named, Central Ohio Platform Tennis Kick-off Party held at Lakes Golf and Country Club on Sunday, October 29. Attendance was good with 25 players. The 3.0 players competed from 1:00-2:30 under the guidance of Michelle Jarrett and Colin LeVeque. The 4.0 group played from 2:30-4:00. There were adult beverages and chips.

The team information is still being setup, but click to see information about the various teams: Elysium 4.0, Lakes 3.0, Lakes 4.0, New Albany 3.0, New Albany 4.0, Scioto 3.0, Scioto 4.0, Scioto 3.0, Scioto 4.0, Swim & Racquet 3.0, Swim & Racquet 4.0, Worthington Hills 3.0, and Worthington Hills 4.0.

Click to view the all-important League Captains.

To follow all of the action, click on League Information.

For those familiar with the OhioTennisZone.com web site, this web site will now utilize much of its software. The OhioTennisZone web site primarily covers Ohio high school tennis on a state-wide basis.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017

Swim & Racquet Wins Central Ohio Platform Tennis League

Congratulations to the men of the Swim & Racquet team. In just their second year, they won the Central Ohio Flight B league. Even though there were several close matches, they went undefeated during the season. Even more importantly, Swim and Racquet provided quality beverages and snacks for their opponents. Rob Martin is the captain of the team.

Swim & Racquet - Rob Martin - Click to enlarge
Matt McConnell - Dan Lehman - Click to enlarge

There was not a league MVP, but if there was, WHCC's Martin Roesch would receive consideration. Special credit goes to Worthington Hills' Roesch for providing buffalo chicken dip for most of the WHCC home matches. Thanks to careful planning, there was rarely a chip / chicken-dip imbalance.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017

Columbus Open Results

The Columbus Open took place on February 3 for the Women's Open and the Men's 90's. The Men's Open was played on Saturday, February 4.

Photos from the Columbus Open Tournament - Click to enlarge

The Women's Open was won by Sarah Lynch and Carla Lavrusky from Pittsburgh. They beat Columbus' Michelle Jarrett and Pam Lippy in the finals.

Columbus' Brian Heil and Mark Barry won the Men's Open by beating Pittsburgh's Matt Rogers and Scott Kahler.

In the Men's 90's final, Lance Thompson and Scott West beat Amos Allison and Bruce Crocco. All are from Columbus.

For more information, click Men's info and Women's info.

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017

Tournament Time

There are numerous platform tennis tournaments in the Midwest. Depending on the tournament, players come from far and wide to participate. If the tournament has national ranking points, it becomes a national event, otherwise, the draws normally consist of players from contiguous states.

Photos from the Midwesterns Tournament - Click to enlarge

The Midwesterns is a major, national ranking point event, and it was held in Cincinnati over the weekend. The photos to the right are of several of the Central Ohio women who participated.

The Columbus Open will take place on February 3 for the Women Open and Men's 90's. The Men's Open will take place on February 4. For more information about the Columbus Open, click here for information on the Men's 90 and Open. Contact Brian Heil for any questions about the Women's Open.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

Platform Season in Full Gear

It's warm. It's cold. It's warm. It's cold. Well, you get the idea. There were a few days of colder weather to take legitimate platform tennis photos so the camera gear braved the temperatures and I snapped a few photos at Worthington Hills.

Photos from Worthington Hills - Click to enlarge

More photos will be posted soon that were taken at Swim & Racquet.

 

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Columbus-Area Platform Tennis League Now Underway

The platform tennis league is now in its second week. After horrible early-season warm temperatures, the teams finally started basking in 30 degree temps over the weekend.

Swim & Racquet Team - Click to enlarge
There are seven teams participating in Flight B this year. They are: Elysium, Lakes, New Albany, Scioto B-1, Scioto B-2, Swim and Racquet, and Worthington Hills.

There is also going to be a C Flight this year. Teams from Lakes, New Albany, Scioto, and Swim and Racquet will participate in that league.

Interested in playing in the men's league? Click for more information about the league.

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016

American Platform Tennis Association Self-Rating System

Most (but not all) people like to get better in anything that they frequently do. First though, it is important to know where a player stands in terms of ability. The American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) has developed a new tool that will help players assess their skills.

APTA Self-Rating Tool
Click to Begin
Click to access the APTA Player Self-Rating Assessment tool.

For those who wish to improve, the ideal situation would be to complete this self-assessment and then discuss the various criteria with a pro to determine areas of agreement and/or disagreement. The pro could then suggest areas of improvement.

 

 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016

Finally -- Real Platform Tennis Weather

The Men's League is well underway and the season is in high gear. In the Flight A group, Elysium leads the league, followed by Scioto. Worthington Hills is first in Flight B and New Albany is in second place.

Rocky - Lakes Team - Click to enlarge

The warm weather early-on was a huge benefit for the two new teams, Swim and Racquet and Lakes. It is much easier to get players hooked on paddle while the weather is still moderate rather than when the temperatures are in the teens. Swim and Racquet came on-board at the beginning of the season, and Lakes' courts were ready by mid-season. Both teams are already playing solid, competitive matches.

It is painful to include team photos of a winter sport when players are wearing shorts. The Lakes team was the first photo taken this season of players wearing winter gear.

Interested in playing in the men's league? Click for more information about the league. Click to view the list of captains.

The Westy Open has turned into the Columbus-area platform tennis party. Click to sign-up for the Westy Open on February 27th. There are a variety of skill levels played at five clubs around town, and the Post-Party will take place at the The Fox in the Snow Cafe.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015

Men's Platform Tennis League

League play kicks into gear this weekend. There will be four Flight A and eight Flight B teams. Both Scioto and Elysium will field two Flight B teams. Swim & Racquet is new to the league this year and they will offer a Flight B team. Rocky Fork and Lakes will be teaming up to form both Flight A and Flight B teams. This is the fourth year for the league.

Last year's team champions were Elysium A and Scioto Country Club B1, and they were captained by Paul Ghidotti and Robbie Columbo, respectively.

Interested in playing in the men's league? Click for more information about the league.

The women's league is in the process of gathering players for its second season. Contact Jake Wilson for more information.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015

League Champs: Elysium and Scioto Country Club

It was Elysium Tennis and Scioto Country Club in both of the finals of the Columbus Interclub Platform Tennis League. Elysium took the Flight A championship - winning in a close match against Scioto Country Club. In the Flight B championship, Scioto Country Club B1 won the crown - beating Elysium in the finals.

CIPA League Play - Click to enlarge

Elysium's Flight A Team was captained by Paul Ghidotti. The other participants on the championship team were Philip Diaz, Brian Heil, Chip Marlowe, Ox Smith, and Dave Campaan.

Scioto had two Flight B Teams. The Flight B champs were captained by Robbie Columbo. Other members of the team were Scott Thompson, Jeff Wilkens, Geoff Arthur, Jon Vande Werken, Chuck Nutter, and Jerry Vande Werken.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Westy Open

It took a few minutes for players to become acclimated to the single digit temperatures, but players quickly warmed up to make the 14th annual Westy Open another success. Over $70,000 were raised by TWIG 3 to benefit Nationwide Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Program.

Westy Open - Click to enlarge

The co-ed tournament included over 90 players and the matches were played throughout Columbus at the following clubs: Columbus Country Club, Elysium Tennis, New Albany Country Club, Rocky Fork Hunt Club, and Worthington Hills Country Club.

Dr. David Axelson, of Nationwide Children's Hospital, provided his thanks for the group's generosity at the after-party.

The after-party was held at The Fox in the Snow Cafe. Music was provided by DJ Patrick.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Peachtree Paddle Tournament

There were a number of Columbus area teams that avoided the eight inches of snow on Saturday by playing in Atlanta's 10th Annual Peachtree Invitational Tournament. It was a great event, highlighted by a great party hosted by Daniel and Lisa Kennedy in their Atlanta home.

Peachtree Invitational - Click to enlarge
Columbus-area participants included: Heather Burke and Anneliese Adkinson, Jill Gilbert and Pam Lippy, Eric Heil and Ox Smith, Scott and Kyle Gerber (now in Atlanta), Amy Heil, and Dan Morneau.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015

1st Annual Columbus Men's "B" Tournament

Avoiding the snow apocalypse from the previous day, the weather was much better for Elysium's Columbus Men's "B" tournament. It was held on Sunday, February 22nd.

Columbus B-Level Tournament - Click to enlarge
Chip Marlowe and Tim Madison were the champions, defeating Ben Lilly and David French in the finals.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015

Columbus Open - 2015

Scioto Country Club and Elysium Tennis hosted another great Columbus Open. The weather was ideal for viewers, but a bit sunny for participants.

Columbus Open- Click to enlarge
Denny English and Thaddeus Reed won Saturday's Open tournament in a close, three-setter against Jeff Jablonski and David Lowe. In Friday's 90's tournament, Paul Ghidotti and Colin LeVeque beat Denny English and Rich Carron, 6-2, 6-1, in the finals.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Jill Gilbert and Pam Lippy won the Women's tournament held on January 31st.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015

At the Halfway Point

The weather has cooperated so far this season for the platform tennis leagues. Elysium leads the Men's A Flight, while Worthington Hills Country Club is in front in Flight B.

Platform Tennis League Play - Click to enlarge

There is a new women's league this year. Elysium, Worthington Hills, and Rocky Fork are a few of the clubs that are participating.

Photos to the right include participants in both leagues.

Click to view all of the action photos for several players on Scioto's Men B1 team.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Platform Tennis League Matches Underway

It was a bit of a slow start but the season is now rolling.

New Albany Mens B - Click to enlarge

The first team featured is the New Albany Men B team captained by David Walters.

This photo was taken as New Albany Men B prepared to play Worthington Hills. Worthington Hills Men B won the match, 2-1.

In the only other score reported, Worthington Hills Men A defeated Rocky Fork Men A, 3-0.

To view the league results, click on League in the upper navigation bar and then select League Information, or click here.

TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2014

1st Annual - Battle at the Mudhole

The first annual Battle at the Mudhole summer platform tennis tournament was held on Sunday, June 29. Even though it was sunny and the temperatures were above 30 degrees, it was a great success. The event was held at Elysium Tennis, and 14 teams competed in temperatures that reached 91 degrees.

1st Annual - Battle at the Mudhole - Click to enlarge

The teams included players from Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton.

In the championship match, Denny English and Bryan Koniecko defeated Thaddeus Reed and Casey Watt, 6-1, 7-5.

The sponsors were Mark Kebe's Total Platform Tennis and Colin LeVeque's ShadeTree Canopies.

There were a wide range of skill levels, and the Viking Low-Bounce ball was used for the event.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

13th Annual Westy Open Is Another Success

On Saturday, March 8th, 96 local players competed for a great cause on a great weather day to benefit Nationwide Children's Hospital. This annual event is conducted by TWIG 3. Proceeds are expected to equal almost $40,000. Last year, $36,000 was raised.

Westy Open Photos - Click to enlarge

Following the competition, a Post Party was held at the Jeffrey Mansion in Bexley.

The event was chaired by Jane Yakum and Molly Carlin. Melissa Lacroix handled the player / court logistics.

Dr. Robyn Dennis of Nationwide Children's Hospital shared how the funds would be put to good use.

 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Scioto Wins Flight A and Worthington Hills, Flight B

On a rare, nice winter day, players and onlookers equally enjoyed the weather for the Columbus Inter-Club Platform League championship. Scioto Country Club beat Rocky Fork and New Albany to win the Flight A league. Worthington Hills won the Flight B Championship after beating Scioto B2 in the semi's and Scioto B1 in the finals.

Scioto Country Club Flight A and Worthington Hills Flight B Teams - Click to enlarge
Worthington Hills' Flight B team lost a few sets along the way but did not lose an individual match all season.

Elysium also received the "Would Have Won Flight A" award.

Everyone enjoyed the great food, beverages, and paddle play..

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2014

Columbus Inter-Club Platform Association Tournament

The CIPA end-of-season tournament and party will take place this weekend at Scioto Country Club and Elysium Tennis. The #1 seeds are Elysium Tennis in Flight A and Worthington Hills Country Club in Flight B. The finals and party will take place at Scioto Country Club.

Click to view the draws.

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Columbus Open

It was another cold day in central Ohio with temperatures registering 10 degrees at Worthington Hills for the start of the Columbus Open Platform Tennis Tournament on Friday.

Columbus Open Photos - Click to enlarge

The Men's Open champions were Ryan Baxter and Ricky Heath. Nancy Budde and Tracy Glassmeyer won the Women's Open, and Denny English and Mark Kebe won the Men's 90s.

The number of players competing was up this year. There were 24 players in the Men's 90's, 56 players in the Men's Open, and 48 women in the Women's Open.

The matches were played at Elysium Tennis, Scioto Country Club, and Worthington Hills Country Club.

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Peachtree Invitational

A number of central Ohio platform tennis players migrated south last weekend to participate in the 9th annual Peachtree Invitational. And in the "timing is everything" category... based on today's Columbus Dispatch front page photo of Atlanta's snarled winter traffic, thankfully the players returned to Columbus.

Westy OpenCentral Ohio players participating in the tournament included: Amy Heil (Elysium)-Heather Burke (Elysium), Scott Gerber (WHCC)-Kyle Gerber (Atlanta), Eric Heil (Elysium)-Dan Mott (Cincinnati), and Dan Morneau (Elysium)-Mark Morneau (Atlanta).

Peter Lauer and Freddy Goldenberg were the tournament chairs and it was an extremely well-done tournament despite having only nine courts available to them.

The Saturday night party was exceptional and it was held at the private residence of Dan and Lisa Kennedy. Approximately 100 paddle people attended.

Make sure that you sign up for the Columbus Open. It will be held February 7-8. Click to sign-up.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014

The Westy Open

Westy OpenMark your calendars to participate in the 13th annual Westy Open Paddle Tennis Tournament and Post Party on Saturday, March 8. It is for a great cause and it benefits the Pediatric Cancer Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

This co-ed tournament places players in their appropriate skill groups and the matches are played at the Columbus Country Club, Elysium Tennis, New Albany Country Club, Rocky Fork Hunt Club, Scioto Country Club, and Worthington Hills Country Club.

New for this year are two beginner's clinics to be held at Elysium.

The Post Party at The Jeffrey Mansion in Bexley follows the event.

To play, contact Melissa Lacroix at 614-253-8462. For sponsorship or Post-Party information, please contact Molly Carlin at (614) 506-6642 or Jane Yakam at (614) 783-4980.

For more information, click here.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2013

Introducing Player Profiles

The goals of this web site are to keep everyone informed about platform tennis in Columbus, Ohio and to help everyone get to know each other for social and business purposes. A new feature is now available to assist with the "getting to know you" goal.

For those playing in the Columbus Platform Tennis League, new profile pages are slowly being introduced. Click to view the profile for Bruce Crocco. Bruce is the captain of the Worthington Hills Men A team. The profiles will include league results, the number of years playing platform tennis, a Linkedin profile, and action photos (when available).

Currently, there are only a handful of profiles setup. To view others, click on the team names (i.e. Elysium Men B, WHCC A, WHCC B) and then click on the names in the roster which include hyperlinks.

After you have paid Denny for the league fees, please send me an email or Feedback to get your own Player Profile setup.

Please note that all group and action photos may be enlarged by clicking on them.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013

First Serious Snow of the Season

Snow during this time of the year normally does not thwart play, but that was not the case on Tuesday night. The image of the net at the top of the page was taken at Worthington Hills.

Scioto Country Club B2 Team - Click to enlarge

League play is at the halfway point of the season. In Flight A, Elysium is first, followed by Worthington Hills and New Albany, respectively. WHCC and New Albany both have 2-1 records.

Worthington Hills is first in Flight B. Scioto Men B1 and New Albany are second and third, respectively.

 

 

 

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Photo Day

There are simply not enough action photos of platform tennis players. One reason is that it is unsafe to get inside the cage with these athletic beasts, and the other is that camera gear has to be specialized to take low-light photos. To resolve the low-light problem, I rented a high-end lens for the weekend to permit me to take photos on a cloudy day at Worthington Hills and at night at Elysium.

Click to enlarge

I took over 300 photos on Saturday, and the four photos to the right were a few of my favorites. More photos will be displayed throughout the season. Just click on the image to enlarge it.

Contact me if you would like photos taken at your club. I'm sure we can work out an arrangement.

Only two match results have been submitted from this weekend. Captains, please get your results into me soon.

For those of you who enjoy tennis photos, my tennis web site includes photos for many Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland high school players.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013

League Play Continues

It was the second week of league play. The scores will be accumulated and provided online tomorrow.

Scioto Country Club B1 Team - Click to enlarge
The camera was not quite setup correctly so Scioto's team picture is fuzzier than it should be. Next time, I'll remember to switch the settings after switching camera lenses.

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

Web Site Updates / Platform Tennis League

Platform Tennis is a social sport and this web site will reflect this. Pictures will be plentiful to help players match names with faces. For those playing in the league, click on the links to see what has been done for the Elysium Men B, Worthington Hills Men A, and Worthington Hills Men B teams. This will be done for all teams that provide pictures. Hopefully, the players you meet during platform tennis matches can be leveraged in other beneficial ways.

Elysium B Team - Click to enlarge
Columbus launched its inaugural platform tennis league last year. Players really enjoyed it and hopefully the changes this year will make it even better. Last year, the Columbus platform tennis league had teams that consisted of "Flight A" and "Flight B" players. This year, each club will have "A" flight and "B" flight teams. (Scioto will have two "B" teams.) The details are:

The schedule for the league is here.

If you do not wish to have your photo included online, just let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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