President’s Letter

ALTA Is Back!

We know it has been a very long spring for all of us. So much of what we love has vanished from our lives because of COVID-19. Yet, our eyes were opened to so many other things — spending more family time; developing new hobbies; reaching out to help others, including healthcare and frontline workers; and simply enjoying the many things we have always taken for granted. We knew it couldn’t last forever, and as things start to open back up, ALTA is once again offering league play for the summer. ALTA is back!

It was so exciting and invigorating to be back on the tennis court for my first ALTA match for the summer. Yes, my “play” is a bit rusty… but all of us were a bit rusty! I loved seeing my teammates, meeting the opponents, and having just a great, competitive match. We all “physically distanced,” but still “socialized” and caught up on our past three months of life. Our opponents were fun, happy, and great players. It almost seemed that some of the “petty irritations” (like line calls) that might occur in a match were not even present. Could this be because we have now realize how MUCH we love this game and being on the court? Playing this first 2020 summer match made me realize what a large part of my life, my social being, and my physical health ALTA tennis contributes to my everyday life. I sure have missed ALTA over these past three months — and I sure have the soreness to prove just how much my muscles/body have missed ALTA!

This summer season will look different for sure — gone are the great refreshment “spreads” so often at our matches (even though not required); gone are the handshakes and high fives, but we all talked just fine at our six-foot distance after the match. And as an effort to help our facilities with the “gathering” requirements, gone are our full third sets, replaced with the mandatory third-set 10-point tiebreaks for this summer season. ALTA will continue to ask our members to follow the CDC Guidelines and other governmental regulations, but with tennis, we can play our matches and still adhere to being smart and safe. We are all collectively responsible for one another’s safety during these challenging times.

If you’re already a member, we can’t wait to have you back on the courts. If you’re thinking of joining ALTA, we would love to have you! It is now documented by several health officials that tennis is one of the safest activities in which you can participate. ALTA continues to be the greatest way to be social and stay active, while meeting many new and potential lifelong friends.

ALTA is back! We can’t wait to see you on the courts!

Sandy Depa, 2020 ALTA President

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