SPRING 2011 NEWS

10 and Under Tennis First Day on the Courts - Saturday, May 7th - 35 Kids signed up! See All Larger Photos TENNIS CARNIVAL on Wed., May 27th - HUGE SUCCESS! Click here to see carnival photos.Over 75 youngsters showed up at the Lee Elementary School gym for an exciting evening of tennis contests led by our tennis pro, DeWitt Thomson. The success could be seen by looking at the happy faces and the large number of sign ups for the spring youth tennis programs beginning next week. Most popular was the Saturday afternoon 10 & Under Tennis with 28 signups so far. Thanks to board member Cathy DeVarennes for organizing the carnival and the Lee HS Boys & Girls Tennis Team members who came in after practice to run the games. Doorprizes were donated by some wonderful sponsors, the grand prize being a home tennis set up, including mini-net, 2 junior racquets and 5 QuickStart balls. QuickStart Tennis Workshop on May 21st! We had 22 attendees receive 3.5 hours of coaches training. They came from towns throughout Berkshire County, but most important, 17 were from the Lee CTA coaching staff. We are proud to have a staff with either PTR or QuickStart certification! Six Tennis Courts - 3 Lighted Henry Hagenah, President, Lee CTA, has been named 2010 USTA Western MA Volunteer of the Year!!! BE THE FIRST TO PLAY USTA 10 AND UNDER TENNIS The Lee CTA is taking part in a revolutionary change in the way kids 10 and under learn and play tennis, as well as compete. USTA 10 and Under Tennis incorporates the QuickStart Tennis play format so that kids can learn, rally, play an compete in a way that is more fun, keeping them coming back for more. And, unlike most other youth sports, tennis can be played at five or eighty-five, truly making it the sport of a lifetime. We'll be offering 10 and Under Tennis at all our National Junior Tennis League NJTL sites. We're hoping to establish 2 more NJTL sites in Lenox and Stockbridge this summer. The children at these three sites soon will be able to enjoy low-key intramural-type team competition! I LOVE THIS GAME! - Clare Bunnie Lahey, Administrator Since my retirement from the Lee CTA Tennis Director position in 2006, and handing all the on-court duties over to DeWitt, I've enjoyed 4 blissful years of free time; however, as I'm sure many of you have found, gardening and visiting the grandkids, goes only so far! I couldn't resist the pull of growing the game, so .... you'll be hearing more from me as your new Administrator. One of my first projects has been to learn to negotiate this website, which I instituted just before retirement in 2006. I hope to give more frequent updates, as well as implement payments on line. I think the greatest benefit for you will be that DeWitt and I can now team up with our Coach/Organizer skills, designing programs that are the perfect fit for you and your children, such as the 10 & Under Tennis above. Many of you have been with us since our incorporation as a 501(c)3 not for profit in 1992. I'm hoping that you, as well as our newcomers, will explore our website and learn all that we are trying to accomplish to grow the game of tennis in Lee and the surrounding towns.	ARTHUR ASHE ESSAY & ART CONTEST
	This is a wonderful educational opportunity available to our NJTL participants. Children will be coached in their research and writing, having a chance to win a trip to the US Open in NYC. Click on Essay Contest on the left to download the entry form. Deadline June 8.
	WINTER JR TEAM TENNIS
	The big payoff! Our kids who took part in our warm weather NJTL programs, especially JR Team Tennis, were able to take advantage of fall/winter programs at Berkshre West AC, supported 50% by our Steve Hornbeck Scholarship Program. Your contributions have made this possible. Our 18U JTT travel team, aptly named Berkshire Wildcats, is at this time in second place for WMA, competing against Ludlow, Longmeadow, and Enfield, CT. Congratulations to the team members from the Lee CTA: Tanner DeVarennes, Andy Consolati,Graham Hagenah, Sara Fitzhugh, Alex Lindsey, William Palmer, & Jack Quattrochi Dear Lee CTA.....if it weren't for the Lee CTA programs I've been involved with over the years, I wouldn't have the love for the game that I have today! I am a freshman at Lee High and a member of the girls varsity tennis team.The instruction and training I got with the various CTA programs made me the player I am today. I also enjoyed volunteering in the Special Olympic tennis program run by Bunnie last summer at Miss Hall's School. Thanks so much for our great CTA!! Emma Forget

TennisCollect / ON LINE PAYMENTS We heard you! You can now process all your payments on line! This added benefit was in answer to requests from many of our members. For those of you who still would rather mail in a check, you are given that choice. After you have "enrolled" for an event, you'll be guided through the payment process, and at the end of "check out," you'll be given a choice of Pay with Credit Card or Mail in Payment. Be sure you choose one or the other; you are not successfully enrolled until you arrive at the invoice page, which can be printed and sent along with your check, if paying by mail.

Not only will this new system be more convenient for you, but it makes it easier for our administrator, an important consideration for non-profits like ours. When you use your credit card, you provide a seamless transfer of funds from your account to ours, saving yours truly a lot of steps. Just as with PayPal, another online payment system, our Tennis Collect requires you to set up an account. That's very easy AND, guess what, you completed that step when you registered on this website and chose a username and password. Pretty cool! Our website has now attained the highest security level, something to be proud of!

Before you leave, please go to Make a Donation to help us further our goals!