http://tennisclub.gsfc.nasa.gov/
This page was last updated on 26 December 2011
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
Goddard Tennis Club
The Goddard Tennis Club is one of the many social clubs sponsored by the Goddard Employees Welfare Association (GEWA).
The Goddard Tennis Club (GTC) is built and maintained by its members, who work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
All badge-carrying employees of GSFC (contractors, civil servants and retirees) and their immediate family members are eligable to join the Goddard Tennis Club.
Members may bring one guest (if the guest is eligable to enter a federal site).
See the Club flyer for a summary.
In 2011, annual dues are $30 for basic membership to cover the annual construction and maintenance costs (no longer paid by GEWA):
- $30 basic membership
- $10 per family member (optional)
- $20 per reservation* privilege (optional, upper limit of 2)
- $15 per guest card (optional, limit 1)
- $15 per ball machine privilege and key (optional)
* Six of the ten courts can be reserved in advance for 1.5 hours of play.
In 2006, the requirement for ladder reservations was dropped, making ladder membership free.
GTC has 8 Har-Tru and 2 lighted hard courts in a sheltered area.
Click on the courts pictured above to get: a map and directions, a tour, a description of court procedures and services, a history of the club, and GTC court maintenance.
This facility is managed by our elected officials:
- President: Maria Lecha, Code 567, 301-286-9276,
Maria.C.Lecha@nasa.gov
- Treasurer: Mike Powers, Code 567, 301-286-4820,
Michael.K.Powers@nasa.gov
Other jobs are carried out by volunteers:
- Ladder, grounds, and web: Dennis Chesters, Code 613.1, 301-614-6325,
Dennis.Chesters@nasa.gov
- Tournaments: Andy Negri, UMd/ESSIC, 301-405-5384,
ANegri@essic.umd.edu
- Sprinklers: Dan Mandl, Code 584, 301-286-4323,
Daniel.J.Mandl@nasa.gov
The GTC ladder season opens on April 15th and ends October 31st, inclusive.
Traditionally, anyone can challenge anyone during the first month, with the 10-rung limit imposed for matches played after May 15th.
Tournament play also counts as a ladder match, unlimited by the players' standings on the ladder.
By the way, you can start your own community tennis ladder using the web site TennisEngine.com to organize a membership list and manage the standings.
- Spring Singles - Memorial Day weekend, give or take a week
- Fall Singles - Labor Day weekend, give or take a week
The Labor Day Weekend 2011 singles tournament was won by John Cannizzo, who defeated Tom Weisz in the final, 7-6, 6-4.
The GTC tournaments are Swiss-style round-robin: winners-play-winners and losers-play-losers every round, so everybody eventually plays opponents on their own level.
The tournaments are usually open to anyone qualified to play on the GTC courts: members, family members, and guests.
Tournament play counts as a ladder match, unless one of the players explicitly says "no" before the tournament match begins.
At the discretion of the ladder chairman, ladder members playing in and completing the GTC singles tournaments are promoted to the top of the ladder, in the order that they finish in the tournament. Ladder members who receive this promotion are subject to unrestricted challenges for the next 4 weeks.
Tournament registration is on a sheet posted at courtside a few weeks before the tournament, or via phone or e-mail to the tournament director.
The tournament director is responsible for seeding, based on ladder standings and best judgement of skill. Please don't argue with him/her/it.
Andy Negri, UMd/ESSIC, is the tournament director [anegri@essic.umd.edu], vox: 301-405-5384.
Here are Andy's recommendations for running a tournament:
From: Powers, Michael K. (GSFC-5670)
Subject: 2011 Tennis Club Application, Ball Machine Keys, Temp Badges
Date: March 23, 2011 2:00:35 PM EDT
To: Goddard Tennis Club (tennis@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov)
GTC Members,
2011 Application and 2010 Budget Report are attached. Last year GEWA cut all
funding for court maintenance, but we survived thanks to the many volunteer
labor hours donated by Dennis Chesters, Keiji Tasaki, and George Kallarakal. We
also had help from the usual suspects: Kim Cousler with Facility issues, Dan
Mandl with plumbing issues, Andy Germain with electrical issues when needed, and
Andy Negri with the tournaments (my apologies if I didn’t mention somebody).
This year is no different regarding GEWA funding, so we still have a basic
membership fee ($30 this year) to help maintain a decent balance in the bank.
We’ll need it if and when the maintenance rates increase! Also, unlike last
year we’ll have to buy Har-Tru this year and other supplies.
As I mentioned last year, new volunteers are always needed. One immediate need
is repair/replacement of the shed roofs. If anyone has experience with this and
can help (or recommend someone), please let me know. Everyone knows how to rake
leaves, which needs to be done every Spring and Fall. I think rakes are at the
courts at all times, so please lend a hand so Dennis and Keiji aren’t stuck
doing it all. I believe there is still raking to be done right now.
Ball Machine: The same lock is on the Ball machine shed as last year, so…
-If you signed up for the Ball Machine last year and plan to do so again this
year, simply pay for it through your application and continue to use the same
key from last year. If you lost your key, please let me know and I’ll replace
it.
-If you signed up for the Ball Machine last year and DO NOT plan to do so again
this year, please send me your old key so that it can be reused by someone else.
-If you did not sign up for Ball Machine last year but want to do so this year,
simply indicate it on your application and I’ll send you a key.
Temporary Badges: I’ll submit a temporary badge listing to Security on March 31
to be effective ~April 4 and valid for 4 months. If you require a temp badge,
please let me know by March 31 (I don’t want to do this more than once every 4
months) and indicate the following:
Name to appear on the badge:
Confirm that person is a US Citizen:
Relationship to GTC or its members: (GSFC retiree, former GSFC
contractor but long time GTC member, family member, etc.)
Email address:
Thanks,
Mike
Michael Powers
NASA/GSFC Code 567
Bldg. 19, Rm. S-004
Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-286-4820 (voice)
301-286-1750 (fax)
gtcapplication2011.pdf
gtctreasury2010.pdf
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You can get a membership application from the Club Treasurer, Michael.K.Powers@nasa.gov, or from the bulletin board at courtside, or download the GTC membership application form from this page.
More GTC news and chat (click to view).
- Some Tennis Stores On-Line
- Tennis Brands
- Tennis Court Construction and Maintenance
- Har-Tru
- Country Club of Virginia maintenance advice (PDF)
- How to lay lines on a clay court
- Clay court line pegs (PDF)
- Har-Tru Tennis
- Certified Tennis Court Builders
- Lee Tennis
- Tennis Universal Court Supplies
- Welch Tennis
- Fast-Dry
- SportMaster Court Surfacing
- Putnam Tennis
- NovaSports hard court construction
- Rebound Ace
- Reference: "Clay Tennis Court Maintenance" by Michael R. Humphrey, 1982, 74 pages, softcover by Bacon Street Press, Sherborn, MA.
- Reference: "Tennis Courts, A Construction and Maintenance Manual" edited by Carol Shaner, 2001, 206 pages, spiral-bound softcover by US Tennis Court and Track Builders Association, and US Tennis Association.
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The Goddard Tennis Club's 2 outdoor lighted hard courts are open year-round.
-
The Tennis Center at College Park (TCCP) has a 12-court indoor tennis facility, 4 Har-Tru and 8 DecoTurf, plus 15 outdoor courts paved with with DecoTurf, Har-Tru, and official French clay.
TCCP offers bargain "corporate" memberships to members of the Goddard Tennis Club. TCCP is also open to non-member walk-in lessons and/or round robins on several days of the week.
- The Fairland Sports and Aquatic Complex near Laurel MD has a 6 hard court tennis bubble and 2 outdoor Har-Tru courts.
- Watkins Regional Park Tennis Bubble in Upper Marlboro MD has 5 indoor hard courts.
- TennisLink of Maryland, plays at Georgetown Prep, in Washington DC.
- SportFit tennis bubble in Bowie MD. Sportfit is a group of commercial facilities (tennis, racketball, etc.) scattered around the eastern suburbs of Washington DC. The Bowie facility has 3 indoor and 4 outdoor hard courts.
- Severn Valley Tennis and Fitness Club, in Gambrills MD is reported to have 4 indoor hard courts, and 3 HarTru clay courts that are covered by a tennis bubble during the winter.
- Big Vanilla Athletic Club, in Arnold MD has 4 indoor hard courts.
End Notes
Important Safety Information
NASA does not endorse any recreational items.
NASA Web Site Privacy, Security, Notices.
Dennis.Chesters@nasa.gov
maintains this
GEWA Goddard Tennis Club page
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GTC Constitution, 1981 
...
GTC Rules, 1981
Goddard Tennis Club Membership for 2011
Where to get GTC membership applications
Goddard Tennis Facility (click to visit)
GTC Ladder (click for standings)
GTC Tournaments
GTC News
Items of Interest
Tennis Fun
Tennis Servers on the Web
Tennis Vendors on the Web
Winter Facilities
