AMD will honor its top players, coaches, league teams, organizations and volunteers at its Annual Awards Luncheon Sunday, April 13 at 1 p.m. at the Fox Chapel Racquet Club. 

The agenda calls for short speeches and a fine buffet lunch, all for the cost of $10. 

In addition to nine Annual Awards, ranging from "Coach of the Year" to "Volunteer of the Year", the AMD board will recognize its top-ranked juniors and adult players.  For the first time the luncheon also will recognize district juniors who achieved a No. 1 ranking in the Middle States section and two juniors who received a No. 1 national ranking.

College coaches will be on hand to answer general questions about tennis playing opportunities in college.

For ticket reservations contact Jim Block, AMD Senior Vice President at 412-364-2062, or by e-mail at block41@verizon.net.   Deadline is April 6.

An article on the award winners is on the AMD website: www.amd.usta.com.

The Fox Chapel Racquet Club is located at 355 Hunt Road in Fox Chapel (15238). The club website is at www.fcrclub.com.

District juniors will have more than 30 District Ranking (DR) tournaments to choose from in 2008, including four "Designated Tournaments" for all age groups that offer double the normal ranking points. In addition, there are two DR Level 7 tournaments that offer both District Ranking points and Sectional Ranking points.

All tournaments are listed on the AMD website: www.amd.usta.com.
The Designated Tournaments, with all age groups unless specified, are:

• April 18 YMCA Airport (BG 12,16)  and April 25 YMCA Airport (BG 10, 14, 18), Coraopolis, PA
• June 21 Oglebay Junior Classic, Wheeling, WV
• Aug. 4 Fox Chapel Junior Open, Fox Chapel, PA
• Dec. 26 Glen Creek Holiday Championships, South Park, PA

The DR Level 7 tournaments are:

• July 3 Glen Creek Junior Clay Court Championships, South Park, PA
• Aug. 4 Fox Chapel Junior Open, Fox Chapel, PA

A slate of eight USTA-sanctioned adult tournaments will be held this summer in the Allegheny Mountain District, beginning with the 35th Straub Brewery Clay Court Championships in St. Mary's, PA on Memorial Day weekend and concluding with the AMD Directors' Cup, which begins Sept. 13 at North Allegheny High School. 

Most of the tournaments will offer competition for both men and women and in a variety of age groups, although this differs from tournament to tournament.  The National Collegiate Clay Court Championships / West Penn Amateur is a sanctioned "Open" tournament for men and women, not restricted to collegians.

The complete listing of all AMD and Middle States adult tournaments is on the AMD website, www.amd.usta.com.  Most tournaments can be entered online. Here's the lineup with starting date:

• May 24 – 35th Straub Brewery Clay Court Championships, St. Mary's, PA
• June 11 – Wheeling Oglebay Senior Open (National Category II Championships, a prize-money event), Wheeling, WV
• June 28 – Clarion Adult Open, Clarion, PA
• July 1 – National Collegiate Clay Court Championships / West Penn Amateur, Mt. Lebanon, PA
• July 23 – West Virginia Open (USTA Middle States Sectional Championships), Wheeling, WV
• Aug. 8 – Champion Ford/Hallman Chevrolet Tennis Challenge (a prize-money event), Pennbriar Athletic Club, Erie, PA
• Sept. 5 – Lakevue Men's Open, Valencia, PA
• Sept. 13 – AMD Directors' Cup, Wexford, PA

AMD junior and adult players who have distinguished themselves in national or international tennis events sanctioned by the USTA may receive up to $1,000 under a new AMD grant program designed to partially offset the cost of travel and participation. Only a few select players in the district will be considered for the grant each year. The AMD Grants and Scholarships Committee will base its decisions primarily on the caliber and number of high-level events a player entered and the success achieved. Other factors, such as success in previous years, may be considered. For a downloadable application, click here.

The USTA Middle States Section has a number of grants and scholarships available to juniors active in USTA tournament tennis at the sectional and national level.  The application deadline is April 30.   

Complete information is at this link.

You may also contact Mike Kennedy at kennedy@ms.usta.com.

For a Middle States Training Grant Application, click this link.

For a Middle States Competition Grant Application, click this link.

A certification course sanctioned by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will be held the weekend of April 19-20 at the Upper St. Clair Courts.  PTR National Trainer Marcy Bruce will conduct the 10-hour course.

The cost is $95 plus the cost of membership in the PTR. This is an entry-level course for those interested in a professional certification to teach tennis on a part-time or full-time basis. A certification test will be conducted at the conclusion of the course. You must register in advance at www.ptrtennis.com.  For directions, please call: (412) 398-6066

Two USTA Recreational Coach Workshops will be held in the district in May.  The workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning the basics of coaching and teaching tennis or anyone seeking a refresher course on the current methods of instruction.
 
The first workshop will be held in Erie at the Pennbriar Athletic Club on Sunday May 4th from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  This six-hour course includes QuickStart Tennis. To register, contact Andy Findlay at Findlay@ms.usta.com or (814) 476-1954.  

A second Recreational Coach Workshop will be held at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park Tennis Courts on Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  To register, go online at  www.active.com or directly here.

Pittsburgh Citiparks is expanding its year-round tennis instruction program for juniors and adults and is in need of part-time tennis instructors.  Experience is required and instructor training will be provided.

The Citiparks Summer Tennis Camp instruction program will be held June 11 to August 15 from 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays through Friday at the Schenley Park Tennis Courts.  Evening, weekends and year-round instruction also will be offered in the city.
For an application, e-mail Jane Famili, Citiparks Tennis Director, at Jane@tennisinpittsburgh.com or call and leave a number and e-mail address at 412-244-4188.

There will be numerous tennis events held in the City of Pittsburgh and throughout the Allegheny Mountain District this summer. Here's a partial list. For more information check out www.TennisinPittsburgh.com  

MAY

East Liberty (Pittsburgh) Block Party: May 3, starting at 10 a.m. at the public courts adjacent to the East Liberty Fire Station.

The Pittsburgh International Children's Festival will debut May 14-18 at a new site in Oakland on the lawns of the Pitt Campus and Schenley Plaza.  Citiparks Tennis will be there giving information on this summer's tennis events as well as demonstrating QuickStart tennis.

Erie Block Party: May 17, starting at 10 a.m. at Frontier Park, Erie, PA.

Wheeling Block Party: May 17, starting at 10 a.m. at Oglebay Park,
Wheeling, WV.

Frick Park (Pittsburgh) Block Party:  May 31st from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Clinics, games, refreshments.  Hosted by Frick Park Clay Court Tennis Club. For more info, visit www.clayfricktennis.org

JUNE

Junior Camp at Schenley Park: Begins June 16 and runs for 9 weeks. Also includes weekly Friday match play from noon to 3 p.m.

Bob O'Connor Summer Tennis Classic: Competition will be held in a number of ability levels for both juniors and adults. Kick-off party is June 19 and tournament begins June 21st. Registration is now available online and information on this tournament will be posted on the website: www.BobOConnorSummerTennisClassic.com

JULY

World Transplant Games:  Tennis - July 14th and 15th , Schenley Park. For more information visit www.kidney.org/news/tgames/worldgames/history.cfm

Paul G. Sullivan Championships: July 14th – 20th.  Co-presented by Frick Park Clay Court Tennis Club. Registration will be available online in May.

For information on other tennis events this summer check out www.TennisinPittsburgh.com  or look out for future emails.