by Ian A. Griffin, USPTA PROFESSIONAL

You may not read it here first:  that I won't be returning to the LCC in 2012.  Traumatic for me, but I've been away from my children too much.  I worked with some wonderful young people at the Club, particularly this past season;  the only way that I can get more out of what I put in, is to do it with my own. 

MARTHA OSWALT is chairing a Search Committee which should result in maintaining the same high standards of instruction that I and my staff of Gutey, Dave and Christine have strived to provide.

One of the biggest attractions to a new Professional is the facility.

To get anything right, you have to get the basics right first: contracts, footwork, scales, whatever. We've all played at courts which lack even water. At the LCC, we have it --- because Joe and Tim lug out 80-lb. thermoi on a daily basis.

And to make a good facility topnotch, it's the little things that do it:  the low-rise dividers, rounded corners, things so convenient that we don't notice.

If you didn't like the outgoing Professional, tell EVA and JANE:  they selected me, I'm grateful.

DEBBY GANTERT, LESLIE KROKER, PAM McCORKLE and RUTH SUNDARAM took the first lesson from me, to try out the new Pro and also to help me get started.

And I'm thankful to DICK McLOONE and DAVID MORRIS for the moral support.  Mr. McLoone visited me during my first week, to give me the Lay of the Land.  I share the love of both men for history, for tennis history.

 I'm particularly grateful to those who were so nice to my family: the BERTRAND family and DON IVERSON to my brothers. And the families who were good to my children: ABELLERA, COWGILL, FORD, PARAMESH, WALTZ, WINTERSTEEN. If I missed anyone here, let me know, I'll try to correct.

And of course I'll be communicating with some of you individually.

Thank you all very much, and I hope I passed the audition.

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