RLTA News 2008

December 2008

Farewell to Jani

New coach/managers appointed

Jani will be pleased to know that he has left such a big hole that it has required two people to replace him.  The new head coaches/managers at the RLTA are Dean & Sophia Toparis.  Dean and Sophia are both qualified tennis coaches and have a proven track record in successfully managing tennis centres. As well as being a Tennis Australia certified Club Professional coach with more than 20 years experience, Dean is a qualified accountant with a business degree from the University of Technology in Sydney. In 2005, Dean and Sophia became Redland locals, purchasing the Sheldon Tennis Centre which they have since redeveloped. Their business acumen and coaching prowess has helped them create a very successful coaching business, so much so that they have outgrown their own centre and are looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that our eight-court complex has to offer.

Their new reign at the RLTA has had a very busy start with more than 70 budding young tennis players participating in a tennis clinic starting 15 December.

All hands on deck at the December coaching clinic

Trivia Quiz

The photo below is of a boy band circa 1971.  Can anyone answer any of the questions listed below...

1. Name the band?

2. Name any one of their three chart-stopping hits of 1971?

3. Name any of the members?

Hint:  They recently performed a 37-year reunion gig at the Dora Creek Workers Club

4. Tell me where Dora Creek is?

Click here for the answers...

November

Increase in Court Hire Charges

The RLTA Management Committee Meeting have found it necessary to marginally increase court hire rates commencing January 2009.  Members day-time court hire will increase by $1 per hour to $9 per hour. Members’ night-time court hire will also increase by $1 to $13 per hour.  For non-members, the court hire rates are an additional $3 per hour, making them $12 per hour and $16 per hour for day and night rates respectively.

But No Increase in Club Membership Fee

It was also decided at the same Management Committee Meeting that the Club Membership Fees for 2009 would remain the same as 2008: i.e. $46 for adults and $23 for juniors, plus the Tennis Queensland levy of $27 if this has not been paid elsewhere.

The 2009 RLTA AGM

The Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 31st January at 12:45 p.m at the RLTA clubhouse. All members are encouraged to attend, and as usual, there will be free tennis available for all those members who actually attend the meeting.

Keith's motorised wheelchair

To help our volunteer grounds men fulfill their role more efficiently, the club decided to invest in a motorised wheelchair (a.k.a. ride-on mower) to be used to prepare the courts for play.  Before Keith was permitted to take the wheel, he was subjected to a very stringent set of license examinations and exercises...  Special thanks must go to Yvonne Willson and the Vets who sponsored the purchase of the OFV (old fart's vehicle) with the proceeds of our fund-raising raffle monies.  Thanks also to Reg Griffin who spent many hours chasing and negotiating the best deal and then building the special broom structure that the new machine will tow.

Keith doing his driving test under the supervision of Reg, Bruce & Arthur

September

Club Championships

The RLTA conducted its annual club championships over the three evenings of 23, 24 and 25 September.  A total of 46 entries were received for the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.  Each of the events was completed on a separate night. Players were seeded into two pools and played in a round-robin format.  The winners of each pool then played a final.

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Club Junior Championships

On Wednesday Night at 3pm the 2008 Junior Club Championships were held at the RLTA. We had an impressive field of younger generation players than last year due champion and finalist from last year now being too old. This opened the Championships up for the guys and the girls.

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