Around the Fort Myers Tennis Beat in March

FGCU Tennis Eagles in March

Coach Weber coaching Mike Beiler
& Tianyu Bao

You cannot have missed all the “Hoop-la” about FGCU’s Men’s Basketball team making the NCAA tournament. It has been “FGCU Madness” this March on sports talk radio, and deservedly so. Well, C.J. Weber and his Men’s tennis team will be trying to stretch the “Madness” into April and May, when the A-Sun Conference and NCAA Tennis Tournaments, respectively, will be held.

Dean Tsamas- No.3 Singles

You can certainly contribute to that effort by coming out to the home matches on FGCU’s campus down the road a short piece from Gulf Coast Town Center. The next opportunity to come show your support is tomorrow at 6pm, when the Eagles take on Lipscomb, their first A-Sun Conference foe of the season.

Tianyu Bao- Super Sophmore

If you don’t make it tomorrow (14^th), another Conference opponent, Northern Kentucky, comes to town this Saturday (16^th), and that match also begins at 6pm. This will be a special event because the Eagles will be honoring the Grandezza tennis community for the tremendous support that community has shown the tennis program!

Jordi Vives- Spanish Sensation

Two other March engagements remain on the Eagles calendar this month: University of South Carolina Upstate on the 28^th, and East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the 73^rd-ranked program in the country, on March 30^th. You can review the Eagles’ schedule by clicking here, and you can get directions by clicking here. Coach C.J. Weber has penned his second newsletter of the season and you can read it by clicking here.

LCCTA Events in March

Your Lee County Community Tennis Association (LCCTA) continues to provide a smorgasbord of tennis opportunities for a variety of levels. This weekend, there will be a free Tennis Festival at Three Oaks Barbara Manzo Tennis Center, Sat. March 16 from 9am - 11am. Kids of all ages and their parents are welcome to participate. Contact Pat Glaunert at 239-898-7770 for details.

The following weekend, March 23-24, the LCCTA will hold a USTA Level 7 junior tourney, again at the Three Oaks Barbara Manzo Tennis Center. The deadline to enter the event is Wednesday, March 20, and you can click here to access the tournament site to register or review.

In addition, the Three Oaks Park Spring Break Camp 2013 will run daily from March 25-29. The camp will include tennis (duh), arts and crafts, soccer, volleyball, All Volley tennis, movies, kickball and more. If you haven’t checked out all the happenings for kids and adults in Three Oaks Tennis, this is the ideal time to do so.    

Photo courtesy of Aruba.com

Showing that it is at the forefront of all things tennis, the LCCTA is also one of the charitable partners of the Beach Tennis USA  2013 Sunshine Open on Fort Myers Beach, April 19-21. This is a big prize money event, so if you feel especially talented on the sand, start getting your game ready! Go to www.beachtennisusa.net for more details. Prior to that event, there will be a FREE “Beach Tennis Kick-off” on Sunday, April 7. Stay tuned for more on the Kick-off.

USTA Teams Still Forming
The official deadline for USTA Spring Leagues has passed, but a little birdie tells me that Susie Bessire has generously extended the deadline through this weekend. Leagues offered for this spring include Adult 18+ Men & Women, Adult 40+ Men & Women, Adult 18+ Mixed Doubles, and Combo Adult 50+ Men & Women. If you are interested, please call Susie at 941-629-0209, or email her at bessire@florida.usta.com.  

The Ramseys for a Good Cause

Sydney Ramsey

Sydney Ramsey, daughter of Pro Leaguer John Ramsey and local USTA team captain Katrina Ramsey, will be having a bake sale this Friday, March 15^th outside the Bagel Bagel Café located at 13391 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers from 9:00 AM to noon. Sydney is fundraising for the new Golisano Children’s Hospital that will be built in the Health Park Hospital grounds.

Katrina Ramsey with
Trey & Sydney

According to Katrina, 100% of the money Sydney raises will go toward the Hospital, and whatever she raises will be matched by Allyn International. That total will then be matched by Tom Golisano, so every dollar earned is quadrupled. The Ramseys suggest that if you are in the area and have a sweet tooth or just feel like helping out, please stop by Bagel Bagel.

Bus Trip to Sony Ericsson

Just in case you have been too busy playing to remember that the heavy hitters, the best players on the planet are coming to a venue near you, let me remind you that the Sony Ericsson starts next Monday, March 18 in Miami. Also, if you don’t feel like driving to Miami, Pelican Marsh has a bus trip leaving Naples at 8am and returning at approximately 8pm on Monday the 25^th.

For $75 you get breakfast (if you want to get there by 7:30am), transportation, stadium seating and a grounds pass for the day. If you are interested and/or have questions, call the Pelican Marsh Tennis Pro Shop at 239-514-3200. 

Ok folks, that's all I have for now. Hope to see you around the courts. Game, set, match...T. A.