Hinsdale Paddle

Muchas, muchas gracias, Jorge! You've done the nearly impossible and made the third annual Hinsdale Paddle Academy more valuable than its predecessors. Bravo!

Recruiting Hank Irvine, Mike Rahaley, Peter Berka, and the top woman in paddle, Mary Doten, was brilliant. This year's six-hour format gave time for a great deal more strategy and lots of fun. Well done, Jay. And also many thanks to Mary, Mike, Peter, and Hank for a great job coaching this week. It's looking like an even stronger season for Hinsdale's competitors.

Last Saturday night, the Hinsdale Police found the paddle hut left open, but nothing was apparently taken. We would like to remind players to close and lock the doors when leaving an empty facility.

On a similar topic ... the Village is still discussing how to upgrade the lockset for the hut. A model similar to the one currently in place is available which would allow up to 1,000,000 keyholders rather than the 200 we currently are limited by. This step, and a few more courts, will keep paddle growing in Hinsdale!

There will be many paddle season kickoff events, but only one can claim to be the official kickoff party of the HPTA.

All around America, a mystery man has been appearing. He turns up at platform tennis courts and cleans the aluminum oxide stains, making the ball much easier to see. Who is this mystery man? And what is he looking for in return? Is it a promotion to serie 1 paddle or to take over the world? Stay tuned ...

Dust off those paddles. Only 3 weeks until paddle season is officially under way.

News reports suggesting that the Season Kickoff HQ has decided to limit players to one drink at the season kick-off party on Saturday, September 23, sent a panic through the Hinsdale community today. HPTA Vice-President for Contingency Planning, Bob Schultz, issued a statement promising that "a solution is in the works". Schultz wouldn't elaborate further, but multiple sources inside the HPTA are hinting that the situation is fully under control.

The great and honorable Chuck Herbst invites paddle players to enjoy golf, food, and a party -- all to benefit a great cause. Read more: Conductive Education 2006 Event.doc

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The Village increased its budget for signage ten-fold for the fiscal year beginning May 2006 and the strategic plan is beginning to bear fruit. Paddle players from as far away as the state capital of Springfield, Illinois have been impressed at the sense of serenity that posting every ordinance in triplicate has brought to an otherwise chaotic and dangerous park environment.

The traveling leagues will be starting during the week of October 9 (one week later than prior seasons).


Hinsdale continues to be one of the fastest growing paddle programs around. This season there will be two new women's teams in the NSWPTA and two new men's teams in the CPTC representing Hinsdale Park District. That will bring the total number of teams for HPD to 15 and mean that more than 150 players will be competing on traveling teams.

In addition to the quasi-Hinsdale team in series 1, the new Hinsdale women's teams will compete in series 8 and series 11.

The structure of both leagues is still being finalized, but the preliminary word for the men's structure looked as follows:

HPD1 (Usher) remains in series 1
HPD1 (Martin) remains
HPD3 remains
HPD4 -> HPD3
HPD5 remains
HPD7 -> HPD6
+ New HPD6 team
HPD8 remains
HPD10 remains
HPD12 -> HPD11
HPD14 -> HPD13
HPD15 -> HPD14
+ New HPD15 team

Rosters will be drawn up and announced in September.

Players wishing to join a traveling team should contact Ed Usher (eusher@ameritech.net) or Paul Wiggin (paulwiggin@yahoo.com) during September. Please provide some background information with your message:

1. Have you played paddle much? How about other racquet sports? If so, tell us about your level of play.

2. We'll need contact information if you join the league: Home address, home phone, work phone, mobile phone, and date-of-birth. (I have no idea why the league wants birthdays ... I haven't seen a present yet, or even a card).

3. Teams play weekly from October through early March. Women's league matches are on Thursdays during the daytime and are all played on the north shore. Men's league matches are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, depending on the level of play. Half of the 18 matches are home matches. Let us know whether you would be available about half the time, 75%, or 90% of the time? We build a longer roster of players when a team has people traveling a lot for work.

4. Have you registered for a pass with the Village of Hinsdale yet? Here's a link to the parks brochure: http://www.villageofhinsdale.org/download/Files/Fall06.pdf

Jack London said something like that, but well before paddle was invented, he had suggested that it was a "club" rather than a "racquet". Well, now we know better. Do your sister-in-law, best friend, or new neigbhor a really big favor this year. Convince them to try paddle. Tell 'em to:

1. Join in on a free one-hour introduction with Hinsdale's top players. Check back on dates/times, but they're likely to be in early October.

2. Register for a clinic from 12:30 to 3:30 PM on either October 1 or October 8 that's designed for beginning players. Contact mhdoten@sbcglobal.net to register.

Even after a sixth day was added, the 2006 Hinsdale Paddle Academy is now completely full. That's no wonder when you see the all-star line-up of teachers. The Academy's program director, Jay Pollitt, is keeping a waiting list, but don't wait to get added!


Academy instructors include four "winter warriors", including two national champions and the warrior who wrote the book: Hank Irvine, Mary Doten, Mike Rahaley, and Peter Berka

There are few of us who at one time or another have not been admonished to "mind our P's and Q's," or in other words, to behave our best. Oddly enough, "mind your P's and Q's" had nautical beginnings as a method of keeping books on the waterfront.

In the days of sail when Sailors were paid a pittance, seamen drank their ale in taverns whose keepers were willing to extend credit until payday. Since many salts were illiterate, keepers kept a tally of pints and quarts consumed by each Sailor on a chalkboard behind the bar. Next to each person's name, a mark was made under "P" for pint or "Q" for quart whenever a seaman ordered another draught.

On payday, each seaman was liable for each mark next to his name, so he was forced to "mind his P's and Q's" or he would get into financial trouble. To ensure an accurate count by unscrupulous keepers, Sailors had to keep their wits and remain somewhat sober. Sobriety usually ensured good behavior, hence the meaning of "mind your P's and Q's."