March 2026 | VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2

Spring is almost here and the weather is becoming more conducive to tennis each day. Our annual membership meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 4 in the

NVTA courtyard. It would be great to have as many of you attend as possible to vote for the Board members up for election this year. We will be voting on-site at

1:30pm after the round robin/live ball event organized for that day.

As of today, the members on the slate are:

Doug Fraggi
Christy Gianelli
Annika Fischer

Any write-in candidates?

We will also present the results of this survey (if the link doesn't open when you click it, try clicking again while holding down the control key). It is extremely important that a significant number of members fill out the short 5-question survey. The Board needs to have definitive guidance from the membership regarding the plans to:

1. upgrade the NVTA Vintage facility (building the access road and parking lot from Trower Ave to court 8, along with the required fencing and safety features) and,

2. add the NV College courts (resurfacing the courts, upgrading the lighting, etc.)

Assuming our negotiations with NVUSD and NV College yield acceptable long-term contract proposals, both these projects will result in NVTA being responsible for raising the capital required to complete those projects.

Other NVTA news of note:

The courtyard tree root and paver smoothing project will happen on 3/30-4/2.
Although not yet finalized, there will be access to our NVTA courts during the summer as major repair work is done to Vintage HS. The Jefferson Ave parking lot will not be available, but access via Trower will still be available.
Our July 4th tournament will be held as scheduled. Margaret Angelovich and Christy Gianelli will be the Tournament Directors.

Jeff Gold

President, NVTA

Club Updates & Reminders

PLEASE NOTE:

Phase 2 of our courtyard upgrade will start on Monday 3/30 at 8:00am. Bartlett Tree Service will be cutting some of the roots in an effort to make our courtyard safe. This will entail manual cutting so there should be minimal noise disruption to play. The next step will be putting the misplaced pavers back. This work will take place Tuesday 3/31 - Wednesday 4/1. We appreciate your patience and cooperation while this work is taking place.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to Christy Gianelli at christygianelli@gmail.com
Do not speed in the parking lots. A complaint was made to school officials and they have asked us to remind our members to be cautious of pedestrians and students in all parking lots when entering and exiting the facilities. We appreciate your compliance.
Lost & Found will be emptied by Sunday, March 22. Please claim any items you may have left at NVTA before then.

Upcoming Events

Annual In-person Member Board Meeting

Saturday, April 4th, 1:30pm

Please come vote and get up to date information from the NVTA board!

Refer to the President's Letter above for more details.

Survey

Doubles Round Robin

Saturday, April 4th, 11:30am-1:30pm

USTA Tournaments

March 15

Unsanctioned in Daly City, parent-child Y,G,O - Reg by March 12

March 20

L7 in Lafayette, NTRP 18+ 2.5-5.5 - Reg by March 15

March 21

L7 in San Jose, NTRP 18+ 3.0-4.5 - Reg by March 15
L7 in Walnut Creek, NTRP 18+/40+ 3.0-4.5 - Reg by March 15
L7 in Folsom, NTRP 18+ 3.0/4.0/5.0 - Reg by March 17

March 22

L7 in Folsom, NTRP 18+ 2.5/3.5/4.5 - Reg by March 17
L7 in Concord, NTRP 18+ 3.0-4.5 - Reg by March 16

March 21-23

L6 in Berkeley, NTRP 18+ 2.5-5.5 - Reg by March 15

March 27

L7 in Lafayette, NTRP 18+ 2.5-5.5 - Reg by March 22

March 28

L7 in San Jose, NTRP 18+ 3.0-4.5 - Reg by March 22

March 27-29

L4 in Sacramento, NTRP 18+ 2.5-5.5 - Reg by March 22

March 28-29

L6 in Concord, NTRP 18+ 3.0-4.5 - Reg by March 22

March 28-30

L5 in Berkeley, NTRP 40+ 3.0-5.0 - Reg by March 22

USTA Adult 2026 Calendar

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!

Playoffs & USTA League Reminders

The NVTA/Silverado 65+ 6.0 team had an incredible time in Surprise, AZ. They were a small but mighty team, placing 6th out of a field of 17 teams that earned their way to this National's Invitational from all over the US and the Caribbean. A great showing with the team barely missing the quarterfinals after losing a third set tiebreak in two of the three lines to Pacific Northwest. As Coaches Mike and Krystov always say, it's only two points. Great tennis and a great time!

From left to right in photo: Janet Phelps, Colleen Winters, Nancy Swick, Margaret Angelovich, Virginia Pflueger, Celia Welch, & Cathy Hoffman

The 70+ 6.0 team won Sectionals! (Nationals are not available for this age group). They were a blend of all the Napa locations (NVTA, Silverado, and NVCC). Fun to have the normal competitors come together and be so successful.

From left to right in photo: Barbara Lum, Virginia Pflueger, Cathy Hoffman, & Margaret Angelovich Not pictured: Natasha Mantle & Susan Kramer

Attention Captains: Reminder to make sure all your players are maintaining active NVTA memberships. All players on USTA teams must be NVTA members. NVTA Membership: 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.

Adult 55 & Over

League Season: Mar 16 – May 24, 2026
Playoffs: Jun 11-14, Jun 18-21, Jun 25-28, 2026
Sectionals Weekend: July 10-12, 2026

NVTA Captains:

W 55+ 8.0: Dianne Maher, diannermaher@gmail.com

W 55+ 6.0: Margaret Angelovich, margarettennis@comcast.net

M 55+ 7.0: Samanda Dorger, samdorger@aol.com

Adult 18 & Over

Team Registration: January 19 – February 17, 2026
League Season: April 6 – June 14, 2026
Playoffs: June 25-28, Jul 9-12, Jul 16-19, 2026
Sectionals Weekend: August 7-9, 14-16, 2026

NVTA Captains:

W 18+ 2.5: Anne Dickey, aedickey@gmail.com

W 18+ 3.0A: Diane de Seve, d.deseve@gmail.com

W 18+ 3.0B: Claire Smith, smithclaireg@gmail.com

W 18+ 3.5: Niki Camerin & Samanda Dorger, nikiphotographysonoma@gmail.com

W 18+ 4.0: Ellie Cooper, eleanorrosecooper@gmail.com

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

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

Parks & Rec classes offered at NVTA will resume in April for the April and May sessions. Please review our other kids' classes in CourtReserve as we offer kids classes year-round!

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 March 30 through February 3 (Spring Break).

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:

ID Badge & Parking Permit

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***

Clinic Schedule

Meet Our Members

Meet Nicoletta "Niki" Camerin

How did you get introduced to tennis?

"I must have been 5 or 6 years old. I remember a heavy brown leather bag, Sergio Tacchini outfits, and leather tennis shoes stained red with clay. That was my father’s daily ritual. After work, he played tennis at the local club in my small town near Venice, Italy. He would take me to the courts, and I would spend hours hitting the wall while I waited for him to finish his matches."

When did you start playing tennis?

I started playing tennis when I was about ten years old. I learned from a very old-fashioned instructor. He made us hold heavy wooden racquets, a toothpick tucked under our grip as we hit one-handed backhands. The goal was simple: don’t drop the toothpick. It was meant to strengthen our muscles, or maybe our discipline. No games. No talking. No laughter. Just repetition and silence.

After a few years, I met a different instructor. He was young, fun, originally from Brazil. What a difference. The first thing he told me was that I was supposed to enjoy playing tennis. That was when it clicked. From that point on, my love for tennis was firmly cemented.

What’s your favorite thing about playing tennis? At NVTA?

Being an extremely energetic person, tennis gives me a way to release that energy and quiet my mind at the same time. There is nothing better than stepping onto the court and narrowing my focus to the yellow ball, leaving worries and mental noise behind.

NVTA has given me more than a place to play. It has been a space to meet other players, grow friendships, and open my mind to a wide range of personalities. We are a fun, eclectic group, all tied together by tennis—by our love of being outdoors, staying active, and sharing time together.

Do you have a favorite tennis memory?

Definitely playing a tournament with my son. We signed up for a parent-and-child USTA tournament, and being able to share the court with him was extraordinary. In that moment, all the years of driving him to practice and showing up felt quietly rewarded. It was the realization that we now share something lasting: an activity we can return to, grow through, and enjoy together for the rest of our lives.

What's something you’re looking forward to in the future (on or off the court)?

I look forward to growing older gracefully—embracing a quieter rhythm of life after the frantic years of raising young children, while keeping myself young through tennis. The game continues to ground me, energize me, and remind me that movement, connection, and joy don’t have an expiration date.

Where can we find you off court? What does off-court life look like for you?

Off the court, you’ll most likely find me eating first—I’m deeply passionate about good food—watching murder mysteries, spending time with my amazing family, pets, and friends, hiking, traveling, and dreaming big… all the time.

Niki is a 3.5C player. She plays singles and doubles, in USTA Leagues, Flex League and Day League and has recently taken on the role of a USTA captain at NVTA. Niki takes lessons and clinics with FITT and is a spectacular advocate for NVTA and FITT as she is constantly bringing us new players and friends on court. We love her competitive spirit on court and excitement off court. She is our Italian Stallion, always serving sunshine and has a FANTASTIC topspin forehand!

Thank you, Niki, for sharing your story with us!

These 3 tips will improve your net game the next time you step out on court.

1. Improve your footwork! Stay light on your feet. Players focus on the racket too much and have way too big of a swing but 80% of the shot is your foot work. Keep your knees bent and weight on the balls of your feet. Keep an athletic position and be ready to move in any direction from your split-step. Always split-step slightly before your opponent hits the ball.

2. Stop breaking your wrist and chopping down so much on the shot. Try to simply put the racket out in front for the incoming ball and redirect it on impact. Keep everything as simple as possible with the technique.

3. Precision over power. Stop trying to overpower your opponents on your volley by smashing it. Angle volleys and hitting down the middle of the court will be your winning shot selection.

I hope to see everyone on court with the better weather!

Coach Mike