HIDEAWAY 2013 - 14 TENNIS SEASON RECAP

Hideaway Produces USTA FL Sectional Champs

Hideaway USTA FL State Champs

Let me start this season wrap up with HUGE KUDOS  to Captain Ed Marcelo and his USTA Florida 65 and Over 7.0 Sectional Champion teammates! The team represented the Hideaway Country Club, Lee and Charlotte Counties at the Sectional Championships in Daytona this past weekend, and walked away as State Champions...the first ever in the history of Hideaway Tennis. Keep an eye out for more details in the News-Press.

Team members collect prizes in Daytona

In addition to Captain Ed, Hideaway members of the team included Richard Fell, Masa Kumamoto, Tim McClary, and Bob Bachula. Other members of the team included John Blohm, Nile Evans, Tom Martin, and Steve Romaine. It was the successive year Captain Ed had taken a 7.0 team to sectionals, but it was under the Hideaway banner that they emerged victorious. The team will play for the National Championship next march in Arizona.

Association Round Robin Revived

Bill Dey
Men's Round Robin Coordinator

Hideaway Tennis saw other successes during the 2013-2014 season. The Tennis Association’s Men’s Round Robin, played on Tuesday and Friday mornings, evinced a revival, drawing enough participation to warrant a request to reserve all four courts on Tuesdays next season.

Bill Cross, Linda Cisco, & Peg Perry with TA

Participation in the Association’s Ladies’ Round Robin flagged, as all but one of our lady tennis members played on the three teams that represented the club this season, and satisfied their tennis appetites that way. Our ladies are so generous, however, that upon request of the one member who did not play on the teams, the Wednesday morning round robin was revived on one court. Way to go ladies!

More Hideaway Teams

Steph, Paula & Vivian check out 70-plus action

In addition to our Sectional Champs, our men’s and women’s teams helped to put The Hideaway on the Southwest Florida tennis map with their strong performances this season. Among the Hideaway residents participating on ladies teams this season were Paula Barry, Lee Cross, Vivian Landis, Michelle Paquette, and Linda Sisco. Thank you for your outstanding representation of Hideaway ladies tennis. 

3.0 Captain Lynne Price &
Copper Captain Bert Ann Haas

Our Lee County Women's Tennis League (LCWTL) Copper team, led by Bert Ann Haas and Terri Turner, finished in the top-10 (7th) of their division, and although the other two (3.0 led by Lynne Price and Rennie Bassett; Bronze led by Pearle Warren and Pat Ben-Dov) didnt' finish in the top-ten, they represented The Hideaway with total effort and a lot of class.

Ed Marcelo & Masa Kumamoto

Ed Marcelo was a busy guy this season, as he also led one more USTA FL league team and a Lee County Men's 70-Plus team. One of those teams, the USTA 3.5 Adult 55 & Over team, was undefeated but chose not to attend the USTA Florida sectional competition.  Ed’s Lee County 70-Plus team finished third among the six teams in the Red-A Division, the highest 70-Plus division in the League. 

Captain Mike Stern

One of the most active tennis aficionados in the area, Michael Stern, captained another successful Hideaway men’s team, posting a second-place finish among the 10 teams in the Southwest Florida Team Tennis League. Several local teaching professionals, including yours truly, represented the Hideaway on this team, providing some exciting Friday afternoon entertainment.

Terry See & Tony Crouch play on Hideaway's
Southwest Florida Team Tennis team

 The recent adoption of new membership rules is likely to result in fewer Hideaway teams next season, as all of the men who played on our 2013 -14 teams have moved to Park Meadow, and we will suffer some losses with the ladies as well. It appears that we will have to recruit some additional players if we are to field another Copper team, but it looks as though we will definitely field 3.0-Minus and Bronze teams. 

New Teams for 2014-15

Bronze Captain Pearle Warren

I have received inquiries about forming a new 4.0-Minus team, and a new 60-Plus team, so if you don't already have a a home and a team, we might have a place for you at The Hideaway. You can contact me at 407-466-4652 or taniles13@yahoo.com if you would like to explore those opportunities. We are low on frills, but also low on drama and we want to keep it that way!

Bronze Co-Captain Pat Ben-Dov with
doubles partner Reggie Miskovich

In closing, I would like to offer sincere thanks to Pearle Warren, Pat Ben-Dov, Lynne Price, Rennie Bassett, Bert Ann Haas, Terri Turner, Mike Stern and Ed Marcelo for doing the thankless captain’s 
job for their Hideaway teams this past season. 

Sean Balliet

Mega thanks go to Sean Balliet and his staff, Tom Dudas, Janine Harrell and all of the Hideaway personnel that made it possible for us to have a great 2013-2014 season. Game, set, match…T. A.