ANOTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP?

WELL, NOT EXACTLY
By Charles E. Vasoll

Back in 2001, the APTA created a new National Championship for Senior men, the 145+.  It was brought to life with the intention of providing the men of age 75+ and opportunity to play, but recognized that there were probably not a sufficient number to make eligible teams if both players had to be a minimum age of 75.  So the plan was to have a minimum age of 75 be partnered with a minimum age 70.  This was also to avoid a simple repeat of the 70+ championship, where a team could be ages 72 and 73 or 71 and 74. 

After a couple of years of the championship, the APTA Director of Senior Tournaments, Rich Lombard, concerned about not having sufficient entries for the 145+, changed the eligibility rules.  He was permitted to have a team with any ages totaling 145 eligible.  Thus we could have an 80 year old with a 65 year-old partner and ages 72 and 73 as a team.   This eligibility rule continues at present.  It is not in the spirit of which the tournament was designed.

I say the APTA should give strong consideration to simplifying this senior men’s championship by simply making it age 75+ team eligibility.  I recognize that there may be very few teams that will be eligible and some who live from distance from the site of the tournament will be reluctant to travel.  Those who can play will have a good time amongst their peers and even a draw of eight teams will continue to qualify as a National Championship under the current APTA rules.

I believe that our cousin sport, lawn tennis, has an amateur singles championship for age 90+ and does not require more than two entries for National Championship recognition.  Further, it is surely recognized already that future generations of platform tennis players will be living longer and playing at a later age than their predecessors.   I submit that now is the time to recognize this and make the change.

  Then the question that arises is “should the 145+ be retained as a National Championship?”  The large number in the draw this year and the strong play that resulted supports evidence that it should be continued.  On the “cancel” side, is the proliferation of the number of “National Championships” and those who say, “Enough is enough”.  My conclusion is similar to that presented by my colleague, David Kjeldsen, when he wrote about the Singles National Championship.  More 145+ tournaments in the APTA sanctioned tournament calendar should be scheduled to give some authenticity to having a “National Championship”.    

what do you think? let me know! info@platformtennisnews.com

Click HERE to Return to April ’s articles