April 2026| VOLUME 18, ISSUE 3
Jessica Manalang
Joey Esplanada & Family
Katie Holz
Deidre Fine
John Prittie
Donna Murphy
Carol Lee
Kathy Ridgway
Holly Schonberger
Erin Bowman
New Members: Please contact hitwithfitt@gmail.com to get your court gate key.
A Letter from the President
Hi NVTAers!
Hopefully winter is behind us and the warmer days of spring are here!
I’d like to thank the members who voted in our recent survey and clearly gave the
Board their approval to continue moving ahead with the Napa Valley Unified School
District (NVUSD) and the NV College projects. The results of the survey are posted on
the new bulletin board at NVTA (thanks Michelle van de Pol for constructing that!).
We’ve moved both of those projects ahead to negotiations regarding Memo’s of
Understanding (MOU’s) that will lead to definitive contracts that will allow the existence of NVTA well into the future. Those of you who attended our recent Round Robin and Annual Meeting were able to ask questions and get clarification on these efforts.
The membership also voted to add Lisa McCaffrey and Claire Gierczak Smith to the
Board. They will be replacing past-President Damian Bennett and Randy Skidmore
who are both retiring from the NVTA Board. Thanks to both of them for their
contributions!
SERIOUS REMINDER: NVTA exists at the pleasure of NVUSD and we are required to
follow their rules, particularly behavior in the Jefferson parking lot. Speeding and
parking in restrictive areas by NVTA members have been noted by the Vintage HS
administration. This is a ZERO TOLERANCE situation. Only park in clearly marked
spots. We’re encouraging the Vintage HS administration to tow offending vehicles at
will.
Planning for our annual July 4 th Tournament is well underway and registration will open on May 4. We’re back up to being a Gold-Level Tournament so let’s get out there
and play and volunteer to help out for this important event.
Members are encouraged to reach out to Claire or Michelle if they’re interested in
sponsoring the tournament, contributing in-kind donations to support the event or
offering a good or service for the raffle: smithclaireg@gmail.com and michellevdp@gmail.com.
The work to upgrade the trees and pavers in the courtyard is now complete and looks
great! Thanks to Christy Gianelli, Mandy DeBord, Nancy Baty and all others who
helped make this happen (on budget and on schedule)!
Jeff Gold
President, NVTA
Club Updates & Parking Reminders
Parking reminder:
All NVTA members are advised of the following:
- During school hours, you must park in the Jefferson St school parking lot. Make sure to place your NVTA parking permit on your dashboard.
- On weekends, please park in the Trower Avenue parking lot (front of school).
-Please follow all parking rules. You may not block or park in any loading zones, handicap spaces, designated school vehicle parking, etc. Please reference the photos below for examples of where not to park (in red parking space in Jefferson lot for example). Vehicles illegally parked are subject to be towed by the request of Vintage High School authorities.
Facilities:
-Phase 2 of the courtyard has been completed. The roots have been trimmed and the pavers have been replaced- the surface is flat and much safer now! It looks amazing! Thank you Christy Gianelli for overseeing this project.
-Water refilling station: The push bar for the traditional water fountain works. We are working to replace the pump for the water bottle refilling section.
- Check out our new bulletin board in the NVTA courtyard. You can't miss it as you walk in! The marketing team will be working to keep it updated monthly with the latest and greatest NVTA news. Besides the newsletter, please use the bulletin board as a news source to stay up to date on what is happening at NVTA. Thank you Michelle van de Pol for heading this project.
Upcoming Events
USTA Tournaments
Bay Area Memorial Day weekend tournament (Supports a local Animal Shelter): Service Champions Tennis Classic
Annual 47th Napa Valley Tennis Classic Tournament at NVTA, July 3rd-5th: Tournament - Napa Valley Tennis Association (Registration link on NVTA tournament webpage, registration opening by Monday)
SCTA's first annual Solano Summer Tennis Tournament at Solano College (18+ & 55+ divisions), Fairfield, August 22nd-23rd: USTA /
Check out this link for more information on how to get 50% off your next tournament
Advertising Opportunity
Showcase your business and services in the NVTA Newsletter!
100% of the proceeds from advertising in the Newsletter will go towards NVTA's Tennis Court Fund. We encourage you to support our fellow NVTA tennis members.
If you are interested in advertising or want to brainstorm other ways we could partner together, please contact nvtanewsletter@gmail.com
I'm interested in advertising!
Upcoming USTA Seasons
New to captaining in 2026? Follow this link to register for the USTA Norcal quarter zip pullover promotion! Supplies are limited, so act fast.
Attention Captains: Remind all your players that they need to be maintaining active NVTA memberships. All players on USTA teams must be NVTA members. NVTA Membership Login: https://app.courtreserve.com/Online/Memberships/Index/9328
Interested in playing on a team or captaining but need some guidance on where to start? Then don't hesitate to reach out! You can email hitwithfitt@gmail.com or reach out to any NVTA Board Member.
NVTA welcomes new team captains and all players and it's best we know of your interest to play or ability to captain in advance so we can do our best to help field teams to meet the roster requirements.
Mixed 40 & Over
Team Registration: April 20 – May 18, 2026
League Season: June 8 – August 16, 2026
Playoffs: August 20-23; 27-30 September 10-13, 2026
Sectionals Weekend: September 25-27, 2026
Mixed 55 & Over
Team Registration: June 22 – July 27, 2026
League Season: August 24 – November 1, 2026
Playoffs: November 5-8, 12-15, 19-22, 2026
Sectionals Weekend: December 4-6, 2026
Register a team link: Register A Team
Adult League Calendar: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/northerncalifornia/adult-league-calendar.html
View League formats here: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/national/about-usta-league.html
Adult League Tournaments: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AlJt6CBIwoB8N9ZJF1AAYG7zy7FJ0hxt7P9lAK1xTnA/edit?gid=1649684414#gid=1649684414
Spring Parks & Rec Youth Tennis Classes at NVTA
There is still time to sign up your child/children, grandchildren and encourage friends and family's juniors for the May session. Summer sessions are open for registration with Parks and rec as well. Email hitwithfitt@gmail.com with questions.
Parks and Rec Sign up: Catalog - City of Napa Parks & Recreation Department
If you have any issues with enrolling or questions about enrolling/attendance, please reach out to hitwithfitt@gmail.com
ID Badge Process
No ID badge needed Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)
An ID badge is required to visit NVTA during school hours. Updates on how to obtain ID badge are available on the NVTA website. You can get your photo and ID badge in one visit and must email Lisa Carroll. Please review the badge policy and steps to complete by clicking the button below:
Membership Renewal Reminder
Please renew your NVTA annual Individual or Family Membership via CourtReserve. You will receive an email notification from CourtReserve reminding you of your membership expiration and renewal.
Members must login to their existing Napa CourtReserve account and go to "My Membership" under their profile once logged in.
If you have questions about your membership or CourtReserve, or need your password reset, please email Annika at hitwithfitt@gmail.com
Remember: if you are playing on a USTA team out of NVTA, you must become a member or make sure your current membership is active/renewed.
Join FITT for weekly clinics at NVTA!
Clinics offered Monday through Sunday. Register for each clinic through your profile in CourtReserve!
Weekday clinics from 8am-4pm require you to have an ID badge when school is in session. Evening and weekend clinics do not require the ID badge.
Mondays
12pm-1:30pm, Cardio Tennis, Levels 2.5-3.5
6pm-7:00pm, Adult Tennis 101, Beginner- new 2.5
Tuesdays
6pm-7:30pm, Live Ball, Levels 3.5 & up (3.0s can email if interested)
Wednesdays
5pm-6:30pm, Live Ball, Levels 2.5-3.5
Thursdays
11am-12:30pm, Rusty Racquets, Levels 2.5-3.0
Fridays
12pm-1:30pm, Doubles Live Ball, Levels 3.5 & up
Friday, March 13th- St. Patty's Day Theme
Saturdays
9am-10am, Adult Tennis 101, beginner- new 2.5
10am-11:30am, Cardio Tennis, 2.5-3.0
11:30am-1pm, Live Ball, 3.5 & up
Sundays
9am-10am, Adult Tennis 101, beginner- new 2.5
10am-11:30am, Cardio Tennis, 2.5-3.5
***Weekly schedule subject to change.
Please check CourtReserve for current schedule***
Meet Our Members
Meet Justin Small
How did you get introduced to tennis and when did you start playing?
I got introduced to tennis as a kid by moving next to a tennis club across the street from our house, just like now, we live next to Las Flores tennis court. I started playing when I was about 10 years old, but not with a regular tennis racket. I had to make one out of a piece of plywood and a stick for a handle, almost like a pickleball paddle! At that time, we didn't have enough money to buy a real tennis racket. I started hitting against the backboard to learn how to play tennis but never took any lessons. I decided to work as a ball boy at the tennis club in order to make money for a tennis racket. I did get my first used head aluminum racket but then one of the throats of the head racket broke a few days after acquiring it!! I'm not sure if I was too strong of a hitter or if it was just time for the aluminum to give out but I just slapped duct tape on it and kept playing for a couple of years until getting another used racket.
What’s your favorite thing about playing tennis? A favorite tennis memory?
My favorite thing about tennis is being able to hit with friends, exercise (without feeling like it's real exercise) and to hit the ball as hard as you can and keep it in the court...sometimes (ha!). And now that my son is into tennis, it adds another reason to love this sport. The most memorable tennis moment is when I took my son to the tennis (court) backboard where I hit my first stroke ever in the Philippines. It almost brought tears into my eyes, it was like watching my younger self...seeing my son hitting against the same backboard, but now, with a Babolat tennis racket (and no duct tape).
What's something you’re looking forward to in the future (on or off the court)? Where can we find you off court?
Justin is hoping to bump up his USTA rating one notch but if it doesn't happen then he is still going to be out hitting the courts and playing for fun and on some USTA teams when time allows. And of course, watching his son continue to progress and improve on court. Justin has a few years before he thinks his son will be able to beat him (probably Justin's predicted future favorite memory and his son's lifelong tennis memory) but in the meantime if he's not on court then per Justin, "You will most likely find me at a construction site when I'm not at the courts—I'm usually helping people out with their electrical needs. And when there's extra time, you will find me flying above Napa (and NVTA) in a Cessna, watching you play."
We first met Justin and his family when Coach Mike started teaching his son tennis through the Parks & Rec Dept. "Mini Tennis" program (3-4yrs) that FITT ran for NVTA at Las Flores Community Park back in 2019. SInce then, his son has progressed through our Little Champions class, to our Hot Shots class and now into our higher level Junior Academy! I personally have played tennis with Justin on the NVTA 7.0MX team and last year we were partners in the Napa Valley Tennis Classic. Justin also helps NVTA with their electrical needs when possible. We love that NVTA and FITT have been a part of his family's tennis journey and appreciate Justin as a member and volunteer. -Annika Fischer
Justin, thank you for your time and enthusiasm. You are an asset to this tennis community. Everyone keep an eye out for Justin at NVTA and in the sky!
Hello, everyone and Happy Spring!
The tennis tip of the month is about positioning at net when your partner is serving.
So, where should you stand at net? It’s all situational and depends on factors such as the quality of your partner’s serve and the quality of the return. Do they lob? Do they chip angles? Where is the returner making contact at in the court? For example, if your server hits the ball well enough that the returner is closer to the baseline or behind it, they cannot beat you down the alley consistently so I would squeeze the middle more. If the returner is closer to the service line because your server has a softer serve, they can go down the alley much easier so I would guard the alley a little more.
On your partner's first serve, it’s best to start closer to the net than the service line as you’re looking to put pressure on the returner by squeezing the middle. On your partner’s second serve, your position will vary depending on the quality. The weaker it is the more alley you should guard and further back in the service box you should play to give yourself some reaction time. You can even play two-back on the baseline if need be. Playing two-back is a great way to take away a lob pattern return as well. Figure out a position as a team that allows you to hold serve! Every service game is data to adjust where you stand at net.
Try to vary where you play at the net and your movement so you’re not as predictable to the opponent. Poaching, fake poaching, playing I formation, and Australian formation will all be disruptive patterns for your opponent’s.
For more tips, come on out and join one of our live ball clinics. Hope to see everyone on court!
Thanks,
Coach Mike
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Quick Links
Napa Valley College Scholarships
These are difficult financial times for many NVC students, some affected are those who could benefit the most from college.
Please go to the following web sites and to learn more about the organization and consider helping with a donation:
On The Move
10,000 Degrees
Napa Valley College Foundation
The NVTA Court Reporter newsletter will be published monthly. Please submit articles and photos to nvtanewsletter@gmail.com.