Memorial Day Weekend Newsletter

We have warmed up in the desert (Palm Desert) and getting ready for our Love Summer Kids Free Tennis Clinics starting in June. We have 4 locations confirmed: Woodhaven CC. in Palm Desert, (schedule on website), Indio High School, Rancho Mirage High School, La Quinta Fred Burns Tennis Park in La Quinta and working on Palm Springs High School.  The clinics will run 75 minutes twice a week for 2 months. Last year we found it to be pretty popular.

Schedules will be on our website: http://www.lovelovetennisfoundation.com

 

 

 

 

 

I’m excited to be going back to Wimbledon this year especially to celebrate the WTA’s 50th Anniversary of it’s founding June 21, 1973. We will return to the scene of the crime, the Gloucester Hotel in Earl’s Court where we all gathered to make one of the most important decisions of our career. It was not an easy task getting the women players to come to the Gloucester Hotel and it took months of talking to as many players as we could to convince them that this was the most important decision of their careers!  One of the most memorable thing that happened that evening was Betty Stove (Dutchsoes) guarding the doors and Billie Jean telling her not to let anyone out until we have an association. Dutcshoes did her job and so did BJK and not only did we form the association but we also created our Board of Directors and Committees. We were eager to start and although many were reticent that they would be penalized by their respective LTA’s they succumbed to peer pressure and WTA was born.

 

I am proud to have been a part of this incredible women’s movement in the 1970’s. The Original 9 helping to launch the first Women’s Professional Circuit in 1971 with the Virginia Slims. It’s these special moments that makes it so wonderful to catch up with our old friends and share those incredible times with one another 50 years later.

 

Thanks to Steve, Micky, Peachy, Sarka and so many WTA Staff that came before and after. They continue to work tirelesly to push WTA and women’s tennis forward. We are still not finished and there’s still much to do but it’s wonderful to see where WTA is 50 years after the Gloucester Hotel. I can’t wait to celebrate June 30th!!