PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Farewell 2020
I
t is hard to believe that this year has flown by this fast. It
been a dangerous accident. As tennis players, we need to share
surely has been a very unexpected year, and a year like
our knowledge and tennis experience with all the newer players,
no other for all of us! 2020 has shown me the importance
so that they also will develop a love of tennis without suffering
of families and friends. The constraints and limitations in
an unfortunate incident or court accident. Please welcome our
our everyday lives served to emphasize the importance of our
new additions to the ALTA family with open arms, and share your
relationships with others, the need for social interaction, the
knowledge.
need for physical activity, and our love of the game of tennis. For many of us, tennis provides all of these needs!
As I turn over the duties of president to a most capable Debbie Gaster for 2021, I look forward to working alongside
If there is to be a positive outcome from 2020’s unexpected
her. Debbie has been with me throughout this crazy year, with
pandemic, it might be that perhaps more people of all ages
all the difficulties and decisions that 2020 presented to ALTA. I
have found the game of tennis to help satisfy missing pieces
must thank the wonderful volunteers, the coordinators, the vice
in their lives. We’ve seen an increase in the number of first-time
presdients, the ALTA Executive Committee, the ALTA Board of
tennis players. I love seeing the families and groups of young
Directors, the most wonderful office staff — but most of all —
people having fun, laughing, and enjoying the day on the courts.
YOU, the members. By accepting and working with all of the
What does this mean for ALTA and the future of tennis?
temporary measures that were put into place, you helped make
Hopefully, all of our leagues will flourish, and the Junior Leagues
this year successful for ALTA. I realize many measures were not
will grow. We, as the veteran tennis players, should be the
liked, but many of you did like the changes and understood the
ambassadors to the newcomers, sharing not only our passion,
hard choices that had to be made to ensure the safety of all of
but also our experienced tennis “etiquette.”
our members.
While playing a match this fall season next to a young couple
Thank you to ALL for your support, your criticisms, and most
hitting balls, it was so uplifting to see them laughing and having
of all, for “hanging with ALTA,” as we traveled through this
fun (I would have been better off had I been watching my
unknown, unexpected crazy 2020 and are hopefully emerging
own match!). In the middle of what many say is the “dreaded”
into 2021 with the return of ALTA as we once knew it!
mandatory third-set tiebreak, I was running for the opponent’s clear winning shot, and much to my surprise, one of the players from the other court was less than five feet away from me
Sandy Depa, 2020 ALTA President
retrieving a stray ball that had traveled across the full backside of
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my court. Our opponents never called a “let” for what could have
