IN BETWEEN THE LINES... TCD NEWS - FEBRUARY 2019
Perhaps you have seen this neat little graphic associated with the “countdown to season start” post on the TCD Members Forum Facebook page.  Being the month of February, it works on lots of different levels:  all of the  tennis leagues in the Metroplex start their spring leagues this month and, of course, it’s the month we celebrate  Valentine’s Day .  But to me, it also represents the  love for TCD that our volunteers and our team captains bring to our organization, our leagues and our teams.

While we have been waiting for February 19 th to hurry up and get here, our volunteers have been busy at work doing the following: 

  • Placing 563 teams in their proper flights for the spring season.  With the elimination of non-essential challenge matches, the 8 volunteer members of the Placement Committee had their work cut out for them having to double down on their research in order to do their important decision-making.
  • Creating and producing the TCD Handbook which is making its way through the postal system to your mailboxes as we speak.
  • Planning and producing a pre-season tournament at 23 different sites all over the Metroplex involving 46 volunteer site coordinators working on behalf of 1,100 participants.
  • Conducting the necessary research and creating a thorough presentation for our SMU students and professor who have selected “Project TCD” for their Capstone Project. 
  • Communicating reminders, answering questions, instructing our captains on how to negotiate the TCD website.  The 45 volunteer Flight Coordinators from all 4 leagues hit the ground running in January and have been going full speed since the month began.  Our 500+ team captains have been entering home match start times, putting together match line ups and communicating with visiting team captains.
  • Looking boldly into the future, listening to what our members have to say and making plans to better our organization has been the constant duty of the 13 volunteer members of your board of directors who are honored to serve on your behalf this year.

YOU have a place in this wonderful world of TCD volunteerism, and I earnestly hope you will want to become more involved.   ALL of the volunteers mentioned above play in several tennis leagues just as you do, captain teams just as many of you do, work real-life jobs and care for real-life families.  Volunteering for TCD is so do-able!   Is there a committee you would like to serve on next season?  Is there a committee you feel we need to create that we currently do not have in place?  Are you someone who would like to step up to the board and serve as a TCD director?   All of these options are open to you!  Shoot me an email at TCDPresident2019@gmail.com and let’s talk about it!
    
The countdown is now over and the season is here!   Enjoy the OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY and  Share that joy at every match of the spring TCD season.


At YOUR service,
Jinky
The Ladies Spring Tournament on February 14th was a smashing success! Over 1,000 ladies playing at 23 sites enjoyed a lovely windy day of competitive tennis with fabulous prizes.

Let's all give thanks to our Tournament Director, Phyllis McGahey, and her outstanding team of Tournament Committee members and Site Coordinators for organizing this monumental, multi-site event. For a list and pictures of tournament winners, head over to the Tennis Competitors of Dallas Facebook Page.
Geographic flighting update!
As previously communicated, we approached SMU in December 2018, with the desire of our Ladies League membership to minimize drive time to matches without compromising the competitive nature of TCD. We are so honored and excited to report that this project HAS been accepted by three extremely bright and enthusiastic students and their mentor/Dr./professor of the School of Engineering. We had our "Project TCD" kick-off meeting on February 12th, and provided the foundation upon which they will build. This Capstone project will span the spring semester, and the presentation of their final results/recommendations will be presented to TCD the first half of May 2019. This is a complex issue, and these students have a lot to learn about TCD before they make forward progress, so please be patient. 
We HAVE heard you, ARE working on this, and WILL provide updates as appropriate.
"Little Mo" Stamp Announced!
 
The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB) is proud to announce that the United States Postal Service will be issuing a special commemorative "Little Mo" stamp later this year. The First Day of Issue Stamp Dedication Ceremony will be Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at 11:00am in Dallas, Texas. More details to follow.

This issuance honors extraordinary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934-1969). The stamp art features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis star by Gregory Manchess. Based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1952, the portrait is a colorful interpretation of Connolly hitting a low volley. Nicknamed "Little Mo," the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo used powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

"Mom would be thrilled and humbled with this amazing honor by the United States Postal Service," said Cindy Brinker Simmons, president of MCB and daughter of Maureen Connolly Brinker. "She was a remarkable woman who just happened to be a very good tennis player. Mom's career was over 65 years ago, and yet her esteemed legacy and significant impact continue to be highly recognized today. My sister Brenda and I are so incredibly proud of this astounding and touching tribute to her."
Want to know more about the partnership between the MCB Foundation and TCD? Click Here
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