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Captain, coordinator, county rep - Ott fills all positions

By NANCY MORGAN
Published May 10, 2006

Ruth Ann Ott holds her friends and family responsible for her leadership roles in tennis.

More than 10 years ago, her friend Pattie Johnston suggested she be the captain of a women's first-time USTA league team at the Renaissance Vinoy. Ott has been captain each year but one since.

About three years ago, her friend and Vinoy teammate Suzanne Berns recommended Ott get involved on the coordinator side of league tennis. Her husband, Norm encouraged her, and Ott agreed to work with coordinator Carol Levin in women's adult, super senior and super 70 leagues.

In March, Ott was approached by more tennis friends to consider being the county rep for Pinellas in USTA Florida in its newly structured state association. While Ott considered the role, she attended a national Community Tennis Development Workshop in Hollywood, Calif., where USTA leagues were included for the first time. Later in March, Ott agreed to the position and attended a regional workshop to network and brainstorm with other volunteers.

"I've been at this less than a month, and I never realized how much tennis goes on in our area,''Ott said. "I knew about USTA leagues and our weekly leagues, but in-school and after-school tennis for kids, promotions with kids on junior memberships are new to me. I definitely want to get educated in all these areas so maybe I can answer questions others may have.''

Ott is especially interested in getting the word out on how an individual benefits from a USTA membership. She has even developed a brochure that describes some of those benefits, from better fitness to lasting friendships.

Ott plans to have the brochures available at Saturday's Tennis Block Party at the McMullen Tennis Complex in Clearwater. The free, open-to-the-public event is a celebration of May as USA Tennis Month and is a joint effort of the Suncoast Tennis Foundation, local USPTA-certified teaching professionals and Clearwater. Activities are planned 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ott learned tennis at 30 while living in Uniontown, Pa., but didn't get too interested until she took some free lessons at a public facility in Miami. In 1977, her family was in Turkey and the closest tennis court was more than an hour drive away. When the Otts settled in St. Petersburg in 1989, she still didn't start playing regularly until 1994. Since then, Ott has played weekly leagues, USTA leagues such as adult, senior and adult combo, senior and super senior.

Anyone interested in helping Ott in her county rep areas of leagues, membership or tournaments should contact her at raott@tampabay.rr.com.

SENIORS AT STATE: Four local teams competed among 40 statewide in search of one of the four USTA Florida Senior Section titles on the line last weekend in Daytona Beach. Collecting state championships were St. Petersburg Tennis Center's senior 4.5 women and McMullen's senior 4.5 men teams. Finishing second in the state was Safety Harbor Spa's senior 3.5 men. The Renaissance Vinoy, making its first trip to state, finished 1-2 in its flight of four.

In its four-team division, SPTC beat Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Naples with 3-0 scores. Players include captain Heather Nicoll, Clara Reynolds, Andrea Martin, Mary Jane Evertz, Liz Leigh, Diana Gabay and Jackie Keller.

McMullen competed in a six-team round robin with the final match against Sarasota the determining contest. Locked at 4-0 overall, McMullen beat Sarasota 2-1. Team members included captain Ron Massey, Terry Payton, Mike Carroll, Jeffrey Julien, Robin Kippenberger, Marc Mazo, Bill Christensen, Fred Farzanegan, Jimmy Dundee, Paul Reilly, Ralph Howe and Steve Talner.

K-SWISS WINNERS: K-Swiss Tennis League champions were named last weekend at East Lake Woodlands in nine women's divisions and 12 men's. Pinellas champions in the Tampa Bay division included Allison Gelestor 4.0-minus, Huldah Dayton (4.0), Ria Graham (4.5) and Donna Roberts (5.0) among the women. Men's Tampa Bay winners were David Walker (3.5), Vern Wilson (4.0) and Juan Yannuzzi (6.0-minus).

Runnerups were Kirsten Willis (women's 3.5-minus), Dennis Sweeney (men's 3.5-minus) and Kamran Rezapour (4.5-minus).

Region champions, a one-match playoff between Tampa Bay winners and Southwest champions, included Dayton, Graham and Walker.

Registration for the summer season continues through May 26. Go to www.ultimatetennis.com or call 347-2522.

NET SHOTS: Singles winners in the Countryside Spring Junior Super Series include Julia Sikorski in the girls 10-and-under, Dan Stefan, boys 10 and Garrett Betsarakis, 14.

Collecting doubles trophies were Agatha Ambrozy and Carolina Perry (girls 12), Emily Dvorak and Christina Bell (14) and Nathan Lord and Brian Shim (boys 12).

Among the winners in last weekend's May Challenge at Seminole Lake Tennis Academy were top seeds Rebecca Bodine in girls 18 and Adam Ambrozy in boys 10.

COMING UP: Innisbrook Tennis Adult Shootout for men and women begins Saturday. Call Jim Hord, 942-5241. Memories in Clearwater for juniors is May 20-22 at McMullen Tenis Complex. Call 669-1919.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 796-5559; e-mailed to namorgan46@msn.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified May 10, 2006, 07:07:24]