By Charles E. Vasoll

Cooperstown, Canton, Springfield, Toronto, Newport. These are locations with which everyone is most likely familiar. They are the cities that house the Hall of Fame for the major sports - baseball, Pro football, basketball, hockey and tennis.

Abilene, Canastota, St. Petersburg, Wildwood. Lesser-known sports also have a Hall of Fame in these places. Abilene, Kansas is home to the Greyhound Hall of Fame; Canastota, New York boasts the International Boxing Hall of Fame; St. Petersburg, Florida, has the National Shuffleboard Hall of Fame, and in Wildwood, New Jersey, the Marbles Hall of Fame resides.

The Trustees of the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation want to add Scarsdale, New York to this list. Progress is being made but it is not a “walk-over”.

As is the case with most of the sports above, they have chosen an origination location as the site for our sport’s museum and Hall of Fame. The Fox Meadow Tennis Club is the “Home of Platform Tennis.” It was the first club to have a platform tennis court. That was in 1931 and a second was constructed in 1934. Prior to that, the game was played on a court in Fessenden Blanchard’s backyard and a few other such locations. The Fox Meadow Tennis Club was one of the three charter members, which founded the American Paddle (later changed to “Platform”) Tennis Association (APTA) in 1934.

Without doubt the Fox Meadow Tennis Club has more members with National Championship trophies than any other organization. More of its members have served as President of the APTA than any other organization. More National Championship tournaments have been conducted on its premises than anywhere else. And, most important, it has produced many members who, when they left Scarsdale, planted seeds of the game in their new surroundings. The club’s members have played intriguing roles as founders, leaders, champions, hosts and as “Johnny Appleseed” to the sport.

The platform tennis players at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club are passionate about the sport. We all love it, of course, but at Fox Meadow it is an all-consuming love. Their members will do just about anything for the sport. It is hoped that they will make one more major contribution.

They have been approached by the Trustees of the Foundation to make available a portion of their property so that a building can be constructed there. It will house a museum with the memorabilia of the game and honor those special individuals who have been elected to our Hall of Fame for their contributions. All of the costs - construction of the building, interior display units and operating expenses - will be borne by the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. It is, for a small sport, a huge undertaking. But it is appropriate, necessary, and for many, it will be a dream come true.

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees have been meeting monthly since January 2004 to begin putting the pieces in place. One large piece of the puzzle has been completed. The Internal Revenue Service has approved the Foundation’s application for tax-exempt status. This means that contributions to the Foundation are deductible on one’s income tax return.

A second huge piece, an architectural drawing of the proposed building has been completed. It will complement the current appearance of the clubhouse of Fox Meadow Tennis Club and present a very dignified look that everyone can appreciate.

The Trustees have presented their idea for the Museum and Hall of Fame and the proposed plan for the building to the Board of Governors of Fox Meadow Tennis Club. Obviously there are many details to iron out, as this is a major step for both the Foundation and the Club. The Trustees are working with the Board to see if everyone can agree on a path forward. It is expected that the Fox Meadow Tennis Club Membership will need to endorse the final plan and a program has been embarked upon to engage them in the deliberations. Assuming an agreement can be reached, the governmental bodies of the Village of Scarsdale will be asked to give their approval.

Finally, then the fund raising can begin in earnest. The Foundation’s Trustees have high hopes that all those who have loved the game in the past and those who are currently enjoying it, will express their gratitude for the many hours of enjoyment that the sport has provided. If they will, it will not take any arm-twisting to raise the funds needed to make the project a reality.

It’s been a long road since 1972 when the first idea for a “bricks and mortar” location to recognize and honor the outstanding people in our sport began. It has had a number of “false” starts through the years, but this time a dedicated group of Trustees is determined to “make it happen”. With all the pieces gradually falling into place, and with your support, it will no longer be just a dream.

The writer wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Robert Brown and Joseph Rogers to this article.

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