APTA Junior National Championship to take Place in New Canaan on January 30

On Saturday, January 30, 2010, between 200 and 250 youth platform tennis players from Massachusetts to Philadelphia will arrive in New Canaan for the 2010 American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) Junior National Championship. The tournament is being hosted by New Canaan Field Club located at 164 Smith Ridge Road, and tournament matches will take place at eleven different clubs within a 10-mile radius of New Canaan. Players must be APTA members and will be grouped for competition by age; 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under and 18 and under.  The 2010 Junior National Tournament Director is Michael Gillespie, who is also Director of the platform tennis program at New Canaan Field Club. The tournament is sponsored by ONS, Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery Specialists of Greenwich.  To register for the tournament go to http://www.platformtennis.org/tournaments/National_Championships.htm . For more information, contact Mike Gillespie at 203-966-2543 or michaelegillespie@yahoo.com.

"The APTA Junior Nationals is the culmination of thirteen APTA Junior Tour events," said veteran platform tennis champion Mike Gillespie. "Paddle, as it is also known, is a great sport for children. It's a racquet sport, played outdoors in the winter and it's mostly doubles.  We have a lot of serious junior players from right here in New Canaan so we expect this will be a very exciting tournament."

A welcoming party will take place Friday evening, January 29 at 7 p.m. at New Canaan Field Club.  The tournament will begin Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and will continue until the evening.  Paddle Tennis is notorious for being a sport for the hardy that is played in all weather, therefore there will be no rain or snow date set unless there is freezing rain and or a foot of snow on the day of the tournament. 

Platform tennis (or paddle) is an American racquet sport enjoyed by thousands of people of all ages. It is the only racquet sport that players can enjoy outdoors in cold weather. It may be played at private clubs, public facilities, and in backyards at both highly competitive and purely recreational levels.  The platform tennis court is almost a quarter the size of a tennis court and is surrounded by tightly strung, heavy-gauge wire screens that lets players keep the ball in play after the ball hits off the court and then the screens.  As the name suggests, platform tennis generally takes place on a raised platform, allowing for heaters underneath the deck that can melt off the winter elements of snow and ice. The surface of the court is gritted to prevent participants from slipping in wet weather.

Platform tennis is a doubles sport, with two players on each side of the 34" high net. The small court size encourages sociability and camaraderie.  For children, it is easier to learn than tennis, and they quickly come to realize that teamwork and strategy are important to the game.  The sport can be a fast-paced game of speed, power and quick thinking. It can also be a game of finesse, patience and strategy.

Tournament sponsor, ONS, Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery Specialists PC on Valley Road in Greenwich, is the largest multi-specialty orthopaedic and neurosurgery practice in Fairfield and Westchester counties. ONS physicians provide expertise in sports medicine, minimally invasive orthopaedic, spine and brain surgery, joint replacement and trauma. For more information, please visit www.onsmd.com.

The American Platform Tennis Association is a non-profit organization that governs the sport for its 9,200 members, which includes individuals, municipalities, clubs and leagues. The APTA sanctions more than 180 annual tournaments, including 24 National Championship events. The organization regulates standards for equipment and the courts and publishes Platform Tennis Magazine.  For more information on Platform Tennis, visit www.platformtennis.org.