October 2021 Newsletter
Alex and son Logan
My name is Alex Graham. I am a tennis pro as well as the activities coordinator here at the Houston Racquet Club. I help with making sure we have enough court space to be able to start a new team as well as reserving the courts for each team. My hope is that every woman at the club that wants to play on a team gets on one or is at least subbing for as many as they like. We have four teams in HLTA, five teams in WHLTA, two teams in ATL, ten teams in Memorial League, one 4.0 USTA daytime team, two 4.5 USTA nighttime teams, as well as a new intraclub league with 40 women participating in that this season.
We love having the HTA league here at the HRC. It brings camaraderie and a sense of belonging to the women who have been on a team for many years and the new members as well. The captains do a great job of making sure everyone is getting to participate in play and always looking for new members to include. The captains also do a great job of coordinating rain make up courts around all our play out here at the club.
I grew up on the southeast side of Houston in Deer Park. I started to play tennis as a hobby in junior high at the Strawberry Park (Now the Harry Taylor Tennis Center), and Harry Taylor was my first coach. I became serious about the sport my junior year in high school and had Will Rau as my coach at Deer Park High School. I went on to play four years at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and graduated in 2011 with James Cohagen as my college coach. While I was in college, I taught at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch and Texas A&M summer camps. Shortly after graduating college, I coached for Bob Carbo and 323 Tennis Academy that he had built for his seven kids and the surrounding homeschool kids.
I started here at the Houston Racquet Club in February of 2012 shortly after the late Cliff Tyree had passed. I have been the activities coordinator for over six years and love it here at the HRC. My son Logan is 19 months old, and I hope to get him playing tennis soon.
**********************************************
September 2021 Newsletter
Your Name: Samuel Giammalva
Name of your facility and your relationship with league play:
Giammalva Racquet Club. League play is an important product for serving our members. Our members enjoy playing other players from other facilities in an organized format.
How long has the club been hosting HTA leagues?
We have had HTA Leagues for the 21+ years I owned the club, and HTA leagues were here before I purchased the club.
How many teams play at your facility?
It varies each season. We have mostly summer and evening leagues. We can have one to two teams or eight to ten depending on the season.
How does HTA league play benefit your facility?
HTA Leagues serves our membership. It offers summer and evening leagues for our members. We have also participated in Junior Team Tennis Leagues and at one time had eight teams. These teams encourage friendships and play.
How can HTA captains and players assist you in coordinating league play?
HTA captains and players self-organize at our club. Sometimes they ask us for help recruiting additional players. Sometimes the club is more involved with the Junior Team Tennis Leagues. Leagues work better when members are driving.
Tell us about your own personal tennis participation and background.
I come from a tennis family. My father played Davis Cup for the U.S. My brother, sister and I all played competitive junior tennis. My brother and I played professionally, and my sister and brother played college for UT and Trinity, respectively. I have coached for 30+ years. My son played competitive junior tennis and for a year for Texas A&M. Tennis provides a healthy, active and social lifestyle. I have loved tennis since I was three years old and have met my best friends. I have so many great memories and experiences as a player and coach for 30 years and a father of a competitive junior. I also have great memories of watching my father playing competitive tennis.
***************************************************************************************
August 2021 Newsletter
Your Name: Alfred Lui
Alfred with daughter Lauren
Name of your facility and your relationship with league play:
Lee LeClear Tennis Center. Coordinator for court assignments and team court fees at the tennis center.
How long has the center been hosting HTA leagues?
I believe it has been over 50 years.
How many teams play at Lee LeClear?
For HTA Spring or Fall Leagues, there are 38 home teams of men’s and women’s singles and doubles teams. Also mixed doubles teams. During HTA/USTA Summer leagues, there are 30 home teams playing at our site.
How does HTA league play benefit Lee LeClear?
Beside bringing in good revenue for the tennis center, more tennis players get to know our facility.
How can HTA captains and players assist you in coordinating league play?
The team captains notify us if there are any defaults and help us arrange the reschedules of any rainouts.
Tell us about your own personal tennis participation and background.
Before becoming the facility manager, I was a league team captain in the 70’s. Besides being an electrical engineer for an oil exploration company, I am an USPTA certified coach to teach in the Houston Parks and Recreation Department youth tennis program. With my daughter Lauren ranked No. 1 in Texas for all her junior years, I was previously busy traveling with her to many state and national tournaments.
**************************************************************************
July 2021 Newsletter
My name is Dars Tesero Munoz, and I am the tennis administrator for Cinco 1 at Cinco Residential Property Association.
Our association has been assisting in reserving courts for HTA leagues for many years. There is an estimated total of 35 teams that use our tennis facilities, depending on the season; it could be more. Out of the 35, 10 or more are HTA leagues.
We are delighted that the HTA league continues to use Cinco 1 courts; they benefit our facility by continuing to use our tennis courts.
The best way to assist our office in coordinating league play is to contact us through our office either by phone or by email. Our number is 281-599-0408, and our email is tennis@cincoranch.life. We will then provide each league the forms needed for approval. We ask that schedules be emailed to me as soon as they are released so that we can accommodate the tennis leagues and other individual players who use the courts as well. HTA leagues are allowed to use our tennis courts if the team captain is a Cinco 1 resident and that at least half of the team players are Cinco residents.
I have worked for the Cinco Associations since November 2019 when I was hired as the executive administrative assistant to the general manager. I was given the opportunity to work with the tennis leagues. I have no prior background, but I have learned from my colleagues and have received training to provide exceptional service to the community. My personal tennis participation is being the admin to all tennis leagues and to assist in reserving tennis courts for their scheduled matches.
******************************************************************
May 2021 Newsletter
My name is Roger Brasseaux, and I am The Director of Tennis at The Fitness Center At Southshore Harbour, located on the water in League City. I have been the pro here for over 10 years and am a U.S.P.T.A Elite P1 Professional for 22 years.
The Fitness Center is a 130,000 square foot full size gym with over 6,000 members, a lot of whom are tennis players. Our tennis facility consists of six outdoor courts that overlook a beautiful marina and two indoor courts. Our two indoor courts are a blessing to have with all of the strange weather that we have had.
We have been hosting HTA leagues for over 10 years. We love having all the other teams from the Houston area visit our facility, as well as our teams enjoy visiting the other facilities in Houston. Our General Manager and Tennis Pro, Kevin Duke, says “HTA has been an integral part of our programming for over 10 years and we appreciate their support helping our club grow.”
Many thanks to HTA for all that y’all do for tennis.
**************************************************************
April 2021 Newsletter
Todd Whitley, tennis professional at Lost Forest Tennis Club.
What is your relationship with league tennis?
I field teams, organize pre-season bootcamps and offer free warmups before home matches for that extra competitive edge.
How long has the club been hosting HTA leagues?
Since 1972.
How many teams play at your facility?
We currently have nine doubles/singles mixed and men/women teams, morning and night. As a private club with 15 courts and four of them covered, we have the luxury to host many teams and have their lines start at the same time. We’re an old club but very clean and proud of our loyal membership.
How does HTA league play benefit your facility?
We stay busy with the help of HTA leagues selling tennis lessons (privates and groups), memberships, tournaments and other events. During the pandemic when everyone was closing their businesses, and public facilities closed without league play, I chose to stay open. Our main goal was safety and freedom for people to make their own decisions. I worked hard to create an environment which gave people the freedom to choose the right path for themselves. It made more sense for an open-air facility like ours. Exercise, vitamin D and human-to-human interaction was the spice of life and hard to find except at Lost Forest Tennis Club, a place of normalcy!
How can HTA captains and players assist you in coordinating league play?
They can keep a constant line of communication going with me for coaching, collecting necessary guest fees and spreading the great energy that Lost Forest possesses.
Tell us about your own personal tennis participation and background.
Eat and breathed tennis from age 11 and on. Began teaching in 2000 at Piney Point Racquet Club among a few other clubs along the way where I learned the nature of the business and thus shaped me as a teaching professional and Director of Tennis.
And…
We are fully operational and open to newcomers to the game and old timers looking for a great amount of tennis and great people to create a new lifestyle with. Your first drill is on the house! We are not as snooty as country club folk but have more etiquette than parks folks. Get your team together and come try us out!