Summer Is Coming! New Staff Members Announced

Dear Sippican Tennis Club Members,

I hope that all of you had a very merry holiday season and a truly Happy New Year. Olivia, Sophie and I had a quiet time at home and welcomed my middle sister and her family from Europe, my little sister and her husband, and my folks to the house for the holidays.

With that said, it's been quite a busy winter here lining up all that is planned for Summer 2022 at Sippican. Opening the courts is just about 14 weeks away. There is so much work behind the scenes that the Board and Kim Berg do before that first tennis ball is struck, usually by a junior on an early May morning, sometimes it's daunting. But we push forward each year.

As many of you know, unfortunately, our Head Professional Hannah Fleckenstein accepted a new post at New Canaan Field Club in Connecticut back in early October. I saw Hannah this past weekend at Ocean Reef Club where she is teaching part-time around her coaching college tennis at Middlebury. I wished her the best and she is excited about her new role at NCFC. Hannah's personality, instruction and passion for the Club will be missed by all at Sippican.

We also said goodbye to Jesse Gotlib, our long-serving Director of Junior Tennis, who resigned, sadly, on his last day in September. Jesse wants to pursue his growing business teaching youth in Dartmouth, Fall River, and Falmouth. We wish him the best in his expanding venture, which judging by the numbers of juniors in his programs, is growing exponentially year after year. Jesse was truly a fantastic part of STC, and in his five years at the Club, doubled the program in terms of juniors and clinic hours. I realize now just how much work he did when I look at the number of junior report cards and placing all the juniors in clinics on my desk! We wish him and his family the best in the future.

New Staff Members!

Please welcome these new teaching professionals to Sippican!

Dustin Goldenberg will be joining our professional staff as Assistant Director of Tennis. Justin comes to us from Fishers Island Club where he served as Head Professional for five summers. He is currently Head Professional at the esteemed Hillsboro Club in Southern Florida in the winters. Dustin, a former ATP player, will again play the National Clay Courts in early May before coming up to Marion.

Mikayel Khachatryan joined us last year for adult tennis week and loved the Club so much he asked to come back full time! Mikayel is Assistant Coach at Georgia Southern University and played Davis Cup for Armenia. He is a phenomenal player and played Div. I college tennis and was ranked Top 100 in Europe. Please welcome him for Summer 2022 as an Assistant Professional.

Eliana Dacunha will also join our team as a full-time Assistant Professional. Eliana, president of her graduating class, will leave Providence College in May with a double major in Biology (B.S) and Global Health (B.A.) Recruited by Providence College to play tennis, Eliana is an established player and a wonderful role model for our junior members.

I am also happy to announce that Gracie McCarthy and Will Vrattos have confirmed that they will be returning as junior instructors. Will is returning for his second season and Gracie returns for her fifth season! It's great to have such experienced junior instructors on our junior courts.

I have a few more interviews in connection with replacing Jesse and the all-encompassing role of Junior Tennis Director. I also have a couple of other candidates to interview for Head Tennis Professional, depending on housing, which brings me to my annual request.

At this time of year, I always plead for any help with housing. I have heard from several members and am thankful for their help. I am trying to solve the puzzle of "room and board" which, unlike five years ago, really now starts May 15th with two or three pros required at that early date. With play and club usage busy well into the autumn, there are incredibly numerous requests for professional instruction now through September. And, as the Club's program matures, so too do the professionals who apply to work at one of the leading tennis clubs in New England. These candidates may have families, spouses, or long-term partners traveling with them or coming to visit from their Southern homes during the three to four months they will be working in New England.

Last year, close to 70% of all court usage and reservations required a member of the teaching staff on court. That is a mighty number of hours to cover and our professional teaching team made it look easy. Comfortable housing is a crucial part of that. Our team pros require professional level abodes for the long season where they can hang their hats at night and on days when events at the club or rainy weather allows them a rare day off. As always, I thank you for your help in the past and any help this year. Please feel free to email me or call me with any ideas you may have.

The calendar is nearing completion and we will publish junior clinic times in February. Olivia, Sophie and I are very much looking forward to being back in Marion and seeing each and every one of you. We wish you, in these tough times, happiness and health, and hope that we can once again provide a warm and wonderful haven at STC this summer. Please be safe.