This past Saturday, prior to the club's End of Season Party, we held the final of the Mixed Doubles Club Championships Division A, Erika and Joel Furey vs Kanitha Burns and Mike Gorman. Mike and Kanitha emerged as the champions, and as new members to the club, naturally we had some questions: 

STC: What are your respective hometowns and when did you start living in Stowe?

KB: I grew up in Northern Virginia but have moved a lot for school and work and ended up spending about 15 years in Philadelphia and the surrounding area prior to moving to Stowe the first time in 2018. After 2 years, we moved back to the Philadelphia area for 2 years before coming back to Stowe the second time at the end of 2022. So, this is our 4th year in Stowe. 

MG: Originally from a bedroom community in Alaska outside of Anchorage, I moved to Boston and some of the surrounding towns in 2000. Like so many I started spending a lot of time in Stowe in 2020.

STC: What do you do for work?  

KB: My husband, Patrick Pastella, and I work together in real estate development. We have an architectural design-build firm called PASTELLA BURNS which specializes in luxury residential home design and construction.

MG: I'm a mortgage originator, which allows me some flexibility in my schedule to take advantage of the many available activities in the area.

STC: How did you get your start in tennis? 

KB: I played tennis in high school and then didn’t play for 18 years before starting up again. I love the game and I'm always looking to improve. I believe that at any age, people can still get better at tennis if you work at it.

MG: I grew up in Alaska and played tennis in high school. My dad was a middle school teacher and he put together his own after school tennis program to introduce tennis to middle schoolers who were interested. He later became came the high school tennis coach and I played for the team winning the 1st state championship for our school. I later took 13 years off before getting back into the game.

STC: Coincidentally, you joined the club the same year (this year) and you appear to be friends on and off the court - when did you start playing tennis together?

KB: We met two winters ago at Topnotch when we joined the same USTA Mixed Doubles team. We found that we have a compatible style of play that’s effective for a doubles team so we’ve been playing together since then. We also like to practice and do drills together that most people don’t like to do like mini tennis and volley-volley. Mini tennis is super fun and a great way to improve your game. You play points but all shots have to be inside the service line. It’s fun to switch back and forth between low slices and power topspin shots.

STC: What was your experience playing in the Mixed Doubles Tournament as new members to the club? 

MG: The competition was great and we had a good number of teams sign up. Being new members I felt everyone went out of their way to introduce themselves and overall were just so pleasant. Having the finals at the year end party was so cool too.

STC: Tell us about the finals against Erika and Joel Furey - what was your perspective on the match? 

MG:  Due to the qualifying round robin format, and with the rain delay, we got to play Erika and Joel a total of 3 times, including the final. The first day of the mixed tournament, Kanitha and I were up 2-0 with Joel serving Love - 30 when we got called in for rain, canceling the tournament for the day. Resuming the tournament the next day, we played them again and they were dialed and ready for us, playing exceptional tennis and beating us 5-4 out of the 9 games played in the round robin format. Even through we lost that round, we were confident we would be able to get another chance to play them in the finals. 

Going into the final, we won the coin toss and I elected to serve. There were six deuces before we were able to win the first game which set the tone of the match. If we had lost that first game, Erika and Joel could have gained good momentum and things may have turned out differently. Erika served next and with that break of serve we were able to keep the foot on the gas and win Kanitha's serve, going on to win the first set. Going into the second set I knew Erika and Joel were going to go for it. They were up 2-1 in the second set and I was worried they had momentum. Joel was catching fire and Erika wasn’t letting anything past the net. Thankfully we were able to come back to win the second set and the match largely due to Kanitha’s monstrous service returns. Breaking Joel’s serve was a huge game to win!! After that, they had a break, then a break back and I was able to serve it out for the win. 

STC: What a match - congrats all around and we look forward to seeing both of you back at the Club Championships next year! 

On a beautiful summery day, the 2024 Club Championships concluded on Saturday, September 14th with the Mixed Doubles A Division Final played on Court 1, followed by the club's End of Season party. Spectators began to assemble on the porch as the match got underway at 4pm. New members Kanitha Burns and Mike Gorman emerged as the champions 6-0, 6-3 against Erika and Joel Furey. The match was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended, and drinks and snacks were served throughout. Thank you for a fantastic Club Championships and 2024 season at the club! 

Reminder that the courts stay open through October, and we hope you join us on October 19th at 1pm for the annual Fall Volunteer Day. 

With questionable weather heading into the weekend, the Mixed Doubles Club Championships started off strong on Saturday the 31st of August only to have play stop mid-match due to rain. Play continued at 11:30am with fairer weather on Sunday, September 1st. 

With five competitive teams in the Mixed B Division, the action was hot all day in the round robin qualifier. In the final, Kristy and Tanner Carlson, the mother and son duo, lined up against Megan and Bob Liljedahl, the 2022 Mixed Doubles B champions. In an intense battle that went to a 12-point tiebreak after splitting sets, Megan and Bob emerged once again as the Mixed B winners. 

In the Mixed A Division, four teams battled it out in the round robin qualifier with Erika and Joel Furey emerging with Mike Gorman and Kanitha Burns as the two teams headed for the final. The final for the Mixed A Division is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th at 4:00pm, ahead of the End of Season Party. 

On Saturday, August 24th the Stowe Tennis Club held the Men's and Women's Doubles Tournament. A total of four divisions were held, Men's A and B and Women's A and B. The weather was beautiful and summery and a total of 48 members participated in the event. The one-day tournament format once again included a round-robin qualifier into the finals for the top two qualifying players. All finals were held in the afternoon. Congratulations to all participants, finalists and winners! 

Women's A winners Maggie Egger and Heidi Vietze bested Cindy Jackman and Cindy Maynard 7-6, 6-3. 

Men's A winners Rob Foregger and Tom Sequist bested Mike Gorman and Teo Calcagni 7-5, 6-0. 

In the Women's B, Kristy Carlson and Megan Liljedahl won 6-3, 6-3 against Cara Zimmerman and Robin Coggins. 

Lastly, in the Men's B, defending champions Bob Liljedahl and Porter Thorndike won 6-3, 6-4 against Adam Hergenrother and Tyler Post.

We can't wait for the Mixed Doubles action to continue this weekend! 

Over the weekend of August 17 and 18, the Stowe Tennis Club hosted the annual Club Championships for singles. A total of five divisions were held, Men's A and B, Women's A and B, and Senior Men. The weather was overcast but fair, and a total of 36 members participated in the event. The one-day tournament format entailed a round-robin qualifier into the finals for the top two qualifying players, with the exception of the Men's A singles division where the players qualified into the semifinals and the final was held the next day.  

The Women's A singles division consisted of 5 players total with new member Kanitha Burns and club president Erika Furey emerging as the division finalists. Helaine Kliger narrowly missed a spot in the finals after a tight qualifying match with Erika. In the final, Kanitha became our newest women's singles champion with a final score of 6-1, 6-3.

In the Women's B singles division, three players competed for the title, with Kristy Carlson claiming the win over Kelley King, 6-4, 6-2. 

The Men's A singles division was by far the largest with 16 players total playing in in the qualifier for the semifinals. Tyson McKechnie, Andrew Leisman, Chris Stevens and James Knittle competed in the semifinal on Saturday afternoon, with Tyson and Chris emerging as the finalists. Tyson McKechnie, the defending champion, secured a repeat win 6-4, 6-4 over Chris Stevens in the final held on Sunday. 

In the Men's B singles division, 8 players competed in the qualifier with Porter Thorndike playing in the final against Adam Hergenrother. Once again, Porter took the win 6-2, 6-3. 

The Senior Men's division, with only two players, went directly to the final with Peter Penndorf besting Steve Edwards 6-4, 6-4. 

What a great weekend of amazing matches and excellent tennis! Congratulations to all our participants, finalists, and champions. 

This past Saturday, July 20th the 18 & Under Vermont Grand Prix Singles Tournament was a resounding success accompanied by beautiful weather. Held at the Stowe Tennis Club, twenty-one participants from all over Vermont competed in the event in a combined boys and girls tournament draw. The match format was best of 2 sets to 4 games, with a 7-point tiebreaker at 3-3 or if with split sets.

Yuyang Zhang of South Burlington grabbed the win over Stowe’s Parker Guffey, 4-3, 4-1. The duo were evenly matched and played each other previously during the high school tennis season. Despite Guffey's efforts to keep the ball wide and tire out his opponent, Zhang's consistency and ability to return nearly every ball earned him the win. Both semi finals matches were closely contested and came down to a tie break. Parker Guffey narrowly won over Leo Jercinovic of Stowe 4-3, 2-4, 3-7 and Yuyang Zhang bested Stowe's Julia Biedermann in a close tie break 4-1, 0-4, 7-5. In the consolation bracket, Hugo Jercinovic won against Carter MacDonald, both from Stowe, 4-2, 4-2.

Semifinalistis pictured below, from left to right, are Yuyang Zhang, Julia Beidermann, Leo Jercinovic, and Parker Guffey.

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, and to the players who played their hearts out. It was an incredible showing of local, homegrown Vermont tennis talent!

School is (almost) out and we are looking forward to welcoming all the youthful energy to the club. We have a whole host of groups, events, and programming coming up to keep you and your juniors busy playing tennis and enjoying the pool. Read on to take advantage of all the club has to offer for families this summer. 

First some quick reminders & announcements: If you're hosting guests at the pool, be sure everyone has signed the Release of Liability (especially non-member minors) and paid the $5 guest fee before swimming. Members must be 16 or older to swim in the pool unsupervised and to invite and host guests at the club. Per our group use policy, please let the Pro Shop staff know in advance if you are planning a gathering, pool party or group use of the courts. The full Member Handbook can be referenced on our website. Our Snack Bar is fully stocked with local Vermont beverages and treats and you can view the menu here. The pool is currently heated to 81 degrees and we have pool basketball, badminton, pickleball and pingpong equipment available for use. 

Core Tennis Program begins tomorrow at 1pm. Those registered for week 1 will have received an email from Program Coordinator Michele Whitmore. All the important details are posted on our website. Note that those registered for in the advanced player program (12 and up) start their first session today at 3:30pm. 

Family Night starts this Saturday June 22nd at 4pm. An evening for the whole family, parents and juniors of any age can join in. The format is flexible, inclusive, and most importantly, is designed to allow families use and enjoy the club together. As a new initiative, we welcome your feedback. 

Staffed with our summer program coaches, Family Night activities include warm-up drills, obstacle courses, on-court games, family round robin play and junior ladder matches. Pool time and BBQs encouraged afterwards. This is a recurring weekly event just like the other groups and round robins at the club. There is no sign-up to start, and members can invite guests according to the guest policy. If you can't make it this week, we hope to see you at one of the following Saturdays!

Future Stars begin on June 25th at 3:15pm (4 & 5 year olds) and 4:00pm (6 & 7 year olds). Reach out to Program Coordinator Ryan McDonnell with any questions. Note that there is still space in the program so spread the word to anyone with aspiring young Future Stars players. 

High School Practice with Mike Tasi also begins on Tuesday, June 25th at 5:30pm. Weekly sign up sheets are located in the clubhouse. Sessions are $20 and limited to 12 players. Core Facilitator Sebastian Sweatman will be assistant coach. 

Calling all competitive 18 & Under players! In addition to the High School Practice, we are participating in the local USTA Junior Team Tennis League and will be competing in matches on Thursday nights this summer with the goal of qualifying for regionals. We are also hosting a Junior Vermont Grand Prix 18 & Under Singles Tournament on July 20th & 21st. Registration available online. 

The Junior & Family Round Robin is July 27th at 10am. All of our junior members and Core program participants (members and non-members alike) can choose a doubles partner from their family and join us for this fun event. Creative team names encouraged! For the most enjoyment, juniors should be capable of playing match points and should be 14 and under. Their doubles partner can be any family member, member or non-member, including parents, older siblings, uncles/aunts, grandparents, godparents, etc. Please RSVP.

The Future Stars Prize Day & Awards is scheduled for Thursday, August 1st with a rain date of Friday August 2nd. All program participants and their families are welcome to join us for this final day of the program. 

The Core Tennis Program Prize Day & Awards is scheduled for Friday, August 9th. 

Our Pro Shop is fully stocked with Junior apparel and accessories. We have boys shorts and polos, girls tanks and sets by Lucky in Love, and youth caps. Please stop by! 

That's all for now, I hope you've enjoyed this STC family newsletter - hopefully there will be many more newsletters like this to come. 

Elle 

Club Manager

Calling all members! The Stowe Tennis Club Ladder officially kicks off this Sunday June 16th. Compete against new players outside of your regular groups, track your progress as you climb the rankings, and build camaraderie playing the sport you love. All levels welcome, choose your challenge: Men's and Women's Singles, Men's and Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles Ladders available. Don't have a doubles partner? Reach out to us and we will try to assist. Vacation plans this summer? Simply turn your player card over to pause your participation until you return. You can join anytime this season, but we hope you'll kick off the ladder with us this Sunday. More information and rules can be found on our website.  Announcing a new weekly clinic with Mike Tasi at 5:30pm on Wednesdays: This 60-minute mixed clinic is for players rated 3.0 and above and includes live-ball drills focusing on strategy, stroke production and tactics in a fast-paced environment. A maximum of 6 players (men and women) can sign-up each week with a minimum of 3 players. The cost is $20 with the clinics beginning on Wednesday, June 19th. Please call the Pro Shop to sign-up (253-8250). Mark your calendars for upcoming events at the club: Next week marks the start of our Summer Tennis Program which runs on weekday afternoon for juniors aged 8 through 14, with the Future Stars Program starting the following week for ages 4-7.  RSVP for the All Member Round Robin, coordinated by Mike Tasi on June 29th at 10:00am and followed by prizes as well as a catered lunch. Join us on July 6th for the second annual Jack Seivwright Fire Me Up Tournament to celebrate the life and tennis career of junior program alum Jackson Seivwright.  Our newest weekly event, Family Night, starts on Saturday June 22nd. An evening for the whole family, parents and juniors of any age can join in from 4-6pm. Staffed with our summer program coaches, activities include warm-up drills, obstacle courses, on-court games, family round robin play and junior ladder matches.

Coaches Corner with Mike Tasi As America's favorite pastime, the common consensus is baseball. Believe it or not tennis is, in my opinion, a second cousin to baseball. The three skills you need to be successful in baseball are essentially the same in tennis. Hitting with a baseball bat is bio-mechanically the same as when you are exercising your ground strokes in tennis. Catching a baseball is also bio-mechanically the same motion as a volley, meaning we want to think of the volley as a catch. Lastly, the key to baseball is the throw, which is the same motion as a serve or overhead. So, next time you're out on court, simplify your game and go for the home run by subscribing to these three concepts of hitting, catching and throwing.

Spring has sprung and the nets are hung!

Courts 1-4 have been resurfaced with lines nailed down and nets hung. It's an exciting time of year and opening feels right around the corner. However, the courts are still too soft to play. We’ll wait until the clay dries out and firms up to support both a good ball bounce and the pressure of your shoes. Additionally, after today we have a week or more of rain ahead of us in the forecast. Let's hope for some better weather later this month and stay tuned for more updates. The Pro Shop plans to open on Friday, May 24th in time for the holiday weekend.

Curious to know how our courts are prepped for the season? New England Tennis Courts bring an impressive operation to the club and service all nine courts plus the backboard over the course of two days. We are halfway there with one day done and one more day yet to be scheduled depending on the weather. Head over to our homepage to see the photo gallery of court resurfacing in action.

The first event of the season is coming soon - Clean-Up Volunteer Workday on May 18th. Next, we’ll officially kickoff the season with the Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday June 1st.

Despite the rain on Sunday, we held our Spring Cleaning Sale and collected nearly $200 in donations to support our junior tennis programs and events this season. Around half of our old patio and pool furniture went off to new homes. The new furniture is still arriving, so for those of you planning to attend Clean-Up Day, be ready to assemble!

Looking forward to the season ahead,

Elle

Club Manager

In just over a month, we look forward to seeing you at our annual Spring Volunteer Workday.

Since we operate as a not-for-profit, the club depends on your 2 hours of volunteer work (or more!) each season to offset expenses. Volunteer work has been a cornerstone of the club since its inception, not only to manage costs, but also because of the benefit it brings of growing and strengthening connections within the STC community. This year more than ever, with the cost of labor already so high, your contribution is valued tremendously. From myself as club manager to the Board of Directors, we hope (dare we say, expect) that you consider your volunteer commitment as part of your membership. For those of you who have consistently volunteered, a heartfelt thank you.

You can volunteer during our Spring Clean-Up or Fall Close-Up Workdays or through other ways (serve on a committee, pitch-in during social events, or help with tournaments, etc.) If you cannot attend the scheduled workdays, contact us with your volunteer preferences. We will do what we can to provide alternative volunteer opportunities for you. Available now? There are some tasks that cannot wait for the upcoming volunteer workday, so please get in touch.

Weather permitting we will hold the Spring Volunteer Workday starting at 10am on Saturday, May 18th. The rain date, if needed, will be Sunday, May 19th. For more info and what to expect, see the event description on our website. No RSVP needed.

All volunteers will be rewarded with a sweet treat, a beverage, and a volunteer credit which can be redeemed for a free guest visit or ball machine use.

Reach out if you have any questions!

- Elle

Club Manager