Recognition...
The SCTA will periodically recognize individuals who go above and beyond in support of the SCTA's mission to keep tennis alive and growing in northern Solano County.
Rafael Rovira is a passionate advocate for tennis, committed to a mission of community engagement and development.
In 2015, Raf collaborated with the City of Benicia Parks & Recreational Department to establish a ROGY Tennis Youth Program. This initiative aimed to introduce tennis to the youth of the community, fostering not just skill development but also instilling values of teamwork, discipline, and a love for an active lifestyle.
Since 2016, Raf has served as the Assistant Tournament Director for the Fairfield Pro Challenger. His participation has been critical to the organization and coordination required to bring this unbelievable annual tennis experience to the local community.
Since 2017, he has also served as a Tennis Coach at Solano Community College. His coaching experience went beyond training and managing the collegiate teams. He provided private and group lessons, organized Junior and Collegiate Tournaments, ran academies, and managed summer programs of all levels. In those roles, he mentored and guided aspiring tennis enthusiasts, sharing his passion for the sport and influencing the lives of those who seek and welcome a different perspective on how to navigate life.
In late 2023, he and January Al-Zouhbi collaborated on a vision to cultivate a thriving tennis community by developing, supporting, and maintaining Junior Team Tennis Leagues. This effort came to be called GO Solano and has since morphed into a Youth Tennis Division within the SCTA structure. This initiative goes beyond the court, aiming to introduce various activities that foster healthy outdoor experiences for families and youth. GO Solano aspires to instill a love for tennis, teamwork, and an active lifestyle, aligning seamlessly with the core values of the SCTA.
Thank you, Coach Raf, for all you do.
Tim Tieu has emerged as the key player in all that the SCTA does on a daily basis to keep tennis alive in our part of the world. He, more than anyone else, is the face of the SCTA to our players on the tennis courts.
League Play.
The immediate problem for our tennis community in early 2021 was finding courts to host league tennis matches post-pandemic. Once the City of Vacaville agreed to make the Centennial Park courts available, the challenge became putting a process in place to make it happen on a continuing basis. Tim stepped forward to chair the captains’ meetings before each playing season, consolidating and deconflicting teams’ preferred match days and times, and coordinating the resultant schedule with the City staff. He has been the single point of contact between team captains and the City for court usage ever since.
Recreational hitting.
Tim, with Linda Dangtran, Helen Dangtran, and Daniel Kim, discovered the Team Reach application while on a family vacation in Oregon. Linda brought it back to NorCal and built an entire tennis network to give players an opportunity to meet and hit on a regular basis. By matching groups of players with courts, days, and times, the application allows a player to reserve a slot and be confident that there will be a group to hit with at that time and place. Thank you for recognizing a valuable tool and bringing it home to make our community better.
SCTA-sponsored round robin tournaments.
As the league season wound down at the end of 2022, Tim organized several round robin tournaments to keep players on the courts. The entry fees covered court usage and awards to the top three players in each tournament, with the remainder going to the SCTA treasury for future use.
• 12 players participated in the Men’s 6.0 tournament on October 23rd . Bernie Tormis finished first, Bob Knight second, and Kevin Gibbs third.
• 24 players participated in the Ladies’ 6.0 tournament on November 12th . Linda Dangtran finished first, Wendy Duncan second, and Amy Whorrall third.
• 12 teams (24 players) registered for the Mixed 6.0 tournament scheduled for December 10th. Unfortunately, it was rained out and rescheduled for March 2023.
Facebook.
Shortly after the SCTA website went live in late October 2021, we recognized the need to bring the SCTA to the social media world. Tim stepped forward again to set up the Solano Community Tennis Association page on Facebook and has been the publisher/gatekeeper for that page ever since.
USTA League Tennis Team Captain.
Tim captained three USTA league tennis teams in 2022 and six in 2023.
Fairfield Pro Challenger.
Volunteers are required in large numbers to support all the daily activities during this weeklong event. They are organized for “on-court” and off-court” support. Prior to 2022, all court management responsibilities were handled by the ball kids, who are classified as "on-court" volunteers. The day prior to the 2022 Pro Challenger Championship, management decided that the "off-court" volunteer group would handle court-management. There was zero training, just a quick synopsis of the activities required, including hauling away trash and dirty towels, sanitizing all chairs, and restocking needed supplies such as towels, fruit, ice, and drinks. Tim Tieu and Katie Petrowski took the lead to ensure all tasks were completed throughout the week. Using trial-and-error and feedback, they created the processes and established the procedures, including best practices. Tim returned to lead the charge in 2023, and was responsible for mentoring new volunteers in their roles.
Thank you, Tim, for all you do.
January initially joined the Fairfield Pro Challenger Team in 2022 as the event’s Volunteer Coordinator. This was a major challenge as the week-long event requires as many as 40-60 volunteers each day. January’s impact was amazing. Not only did she organize the dozens of volunteers required to run this high-visibility event smoothly and efficiently, but she also ensured that volunteers received continuous, timely, and updated information and that tasks were well thought-out and preordained.
In 2023, January took on the additional role of Sponsorship Coordinator - keeping past donors, bringing in new ones, and working with others to find a level of sponsorship that would work best for them. Again, she mastered and excelled at these new responsibilities. She “cleaned up” the sponsorship deck, streamlined and polished the offerings, and committed to providing applicable amenities to those who donated to the event.
Additionally, there was no random task January was not ready to tackle, assist with, or finish up during the hectic flow of the tournament. January was an asset beyond words. Her presence, ability, and boundless drive played a key role in the successful unfolding of this unique and special event – the Fairfield Pro Challenger - to our community in 2022 and 2023.
The benefactors of her organizational talents are ultimately the fans of our great sport.
Thank you January for all you do.
The USTA Pro Circuit was formed in 1979 to provide players an opportunity to gain the professional ranking points they need to compete on the major pro tours. It has grown into the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, consisting of approximately 100 tournaments across the United States and offering nearly $3 million in prize money each year.
The USTA Pro Circuit serves as America’s premier pathway for men and women who seek to compete at the highest levels of professional tennis. Countless top professionals have developed their games on the USTA Pro Circuit and communities around the country have had the opportunity to see these exciting players compete in fan-friendly venues.
Our Solano tennis community got to experience this opportunity for the first time in 2015 when a Pro Challenger tournament was held on the tennis courts at Rancho Solano. We were able to get up front and personal with the players during the week-long event before watching Taylor Fritz beat Frances Tiafoe in the singles finals on Sunday. That experience has been repeated each year since (except the COVID years of 2020 and 2021) on the courts at Solano Community College.
Something like this does not happen by accident or without great effort.
Phil Cello and the Solano Community College Educational Foundation stepped in and took the lead. Phil continues to serve as Tournament Director, with Rafael Rovira as Assistant Director.
Running any tournament takes a lot of time, knowledge, and coordination. But a tournament of this magnitude requires even more! So much work has already been done before the players start arriving and the first matches are played.
Phil ultimately oversees every facet of this event. His commitment, leadership, and expertise are key in working with the ATP Challenger Tour, USTA officials, Solano College Administration, Court Maintenance, Court Prep, Grandstand Beautification, Fund Raising, Player Credentials, Player Registration, Player Housing, Player Transportation, Player Hospitality, Ball Kids, all the volunteers, and everything else necessary to make this event go.
That makes for multiple late nights, followed by very early mornings.
But, in the end, it’s all worth it as spectators watch in awe as magnificent points are played, ball kids seamlessly support on-court play, and tennis players put it all out there for a chance to move up in the rankings.
The Fairfield Pro Tennis Championship is the final leg of the men’s worldwide ATP Challenger Tour swing through Northern California. This tournament is a great opportunity for tennis fans to watch ATP World Ranked Professionals up close - to see the power of their serve, the grace of their movement, the amazing court coverage, and the split-second decision-making ability.
22 former Fairfield Pro Challenger players were ranked in the top 100 in the world at the time of the 2022 tournament. Past champions include Chris O’Connell (2019), Bjorn Fratangelo (2018), Mackenzie McDonald (2017), Santiago Giraldo (2016), and Taylor Fritz (2015).
Phil, thank you for your initiative and commitment in making this magnificent tournament available to the local Solano tennis community.
Our local tennis world changed dramatically in early 2021 when the USTA announced that they were restarting league play post-pandemic and In-Shape management made decisions that affected our ability to continue organized activities on club courts.
The result was a blur of activity that resulted in Centennial Park serving as our de facto home base for tennis and the Solano Community Tennis Association being incorporated as the voice of tennis for the community.
A website was key to establishing our presence for both our community and the public at large. Al Arevalo stepped forward to make that happen. Even as the association was coming together, he was developing a plan for a website. He presented that proposal to the SCTA Board of Directors at its initial meeting on August 28, 2021. The directors accepted his recommendation to commit to the Groove.cm application while it was still in beta for a one-time licensing fee.
He registered the domain name scta.tennis and then worked to build content. The Solano Community Tennis Association (SCTA) website went live in October of 2021 because of the time and effort Al expended to make it happen. He continued to develop the site and add content until early 2022, when his soccer duties severely limited his volunteer time.
Thanks, Al, for bringing the SCTA to life on the internet.
Since tennis is an outdoor sport, they recognized the opportunity to play on courts available around the community.
Tim and Helen initially started playing with people in their bubble, like family members. After a while, they polled players from their recent past to see if they would be interested in forming a friendly mixed doubles tennis league. It would be a great way not only to stay healthy and active but also to improve their game. Since tennis was new to many in their group, the proposed league would also offer an opportunity to meet new people with different styles of play.
The initial 12 player mixed doubles league (6 males and 6 females) lasted six weeks and was a great success. So successful that they followed up with a 24 player mixed doubles league (12 males and 12 females), picking up players through word of mouth. Again, a major success.
These ad hoc mixed doubles leagues kept their group busy until USTA league play started again in 2021. Tim jumped in to captain the men’s 40+ 3.0 team and Helen was the strength of the women’s 40+ 2.5 team with an 8-1 record. Both teams (home-based at Centennial Park) won their league playoffs and competed at the NorCal Sectional Championships in Sacramento.
Thank you, Tim and Helen, for making it happen!
Since tennis is an outdoor sport, they recognized the opportunity to play on courts available around the community.
Tim and Helen initially started playing with people in their bubble, like family members. After a while, they polled players from their recent past to see if they would be interested in forming a friendly mixed doubles tennis league. It would be a great way not only to stay healthy and active but also to improve their game. Since tennis was new to many in their group, the proposed league would also offer an opportunity to meet new people with different styles of play.
The initial 12 player mixed doubles league (6 males and 6 females) lasted six weeks and was a great success. So successful that they followed up with a 24 player mixed doubles league (12 males and 12 females), picking up players through word of mouth. Again, a major success.
These ad hoc mixed doubles leagues kept their group busy until USTA league play started again in 2021. Tim jumped in to captain the men’s 40+ 3.0 team and Helen was the strength of the women’s 40+ 2.5 team with an 8-1 record. Both teams (home-based at Centennial Park) won their league playoffs and competed at the NorCal Sectional Championships in Sacramento.
Thank you, Tim and Helen, for making it happen!
Sometime in 2003, Stu Travis, Paul Merwin, and a few friends decided to start a recurring fun drop-in tennis experience on the Rancho Solano courts in Fairfield. The “Rotators” was born. The players and rules of play have evolved over time; even the name has morphed into Golden Rotators. But the central theme of having fun has remained paramount. Social tennis at its best! Scores are kept only during each game to know when the game is over. Players rotate positions after every game. There is a plan to rotate waiting players in and around the court between games. Everyone gets to play in an organized non-competitive way.
When access to the Rancho Solano courts was denied during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stu and his team took the Golden Rotator play to the courts at Solano Community College. They are now back on the Rancho Solano courts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 9:00 AM. Stu’s e-mail contact list for the Golden Rotators now includes at least 60 players.
Thank you, Stu and Paul, for making tennis fun and available!
The clock was ticking and time was not on our side. On April 24, 2021, roughly a year after USTA/NorCal cancelled league play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NorCal announced that USTA league play would resume. The team registration period for two of the upcoming leagues opened two days later and closed on May 10, 2021.
In-Shape corporate policy prohibiting non-member entry into their clubs at Rancho Solano, Dover, and Browns Valley meant teams could not be registered to host play at those clubs. They had been our tennis bases and were the only courts approved for USTA league play. Could we make league tennis happen again in the northern Solano County area?
A survey of other four-court (minimum) complexes in the Fairfield/Vacaville area offered many options. USTA NorCal requirements for league play were straightforward but the process took time. Access to, and availability of, SCC and school district courts was limited. The only public facility with a nearby restroom during league play was Centennial Park. Could we get those courts approved before the team registration period closed?
Elizabeth Crisante, Recreation Supervisor for the City of Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department, had been briefed on the changed status of tennis in the City on March 31, 2021. When the decision was made to pursue the use of the courts at Centennial Park for league play, Elizabeth initially cautioned that the City processes took time and the USTA NorCal deadline would be a challenge. Then, she stepped up and attacked the process. She created her profile and opened a USTA account. Then, she submitted the Non-Member Organization Request to USTA to have the Centennial Park courts added to the list of approved facilities. She worked with USTA/NorCal to put the required liability insurance in place. Finally, she developed the court reservation process to ensure court availability for league play. By May 5th, the deal was done and captains were able to register their teams for league play.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your support and perseverance in making league tennis available for our community as we came through the pandemic. You made it possible for our players to get back out on the courts for organized tennis.
Elizabeth continues to be the SCTA’s primary point of contact with the City of Vacaville.
The clock was ticking and time was not on our side. On April 24, 2021, roughly a year after USTA/NorCal cancelled league play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NorCal announced that USTA league play would resume. The team registration period for two of the upcoming leagues opened two days later and closed on May 10, 2021.
In-Shape corporate policy prohibiting non-member entry into their clubs at Rancho Solano, Dover, and Browns Valley meant teams could not be registered to host play at those clubs. They had been our tennis bases and were the only courts approved for USTA league play. Could we make league tennis happen again in the northern Solano County area?
A survey of other four-court (minimum) complexes in the Fairfield/Vacaville area offered many options. USTA NorCal requirements for league play were straightforward but the process took time. Access to, and availability of, SCC and school district courts was limited. The only public facility with a nearby restroom during league play was Centennial Park. Could we get those courts approved before the team registration period closed?
Elizabeth Crisante, Recreation Supervisor for the City of Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department, had been briefed on the changed status of tennis in the City on March 31, 2021. When the decision was made to pursue the use of the courts at Centennial Park for league play, Elizabeth initially cautioned that the City processes took time and the USTA NorCal deadline would be a challenge. Then, she stepped up and attacked the process. She created her profile and opened a USTA account. Then, she submitted the Non-Member Organization Request to USTA to have the Centennial Park courts added to the list of approved facilities. She worked with USTA/NorCal to put the required liability insurance in place. Finally, she developed the court reservation process to ensure court availability for league play. By May 5th, the deal was done and captains were able to register their teams for league play.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your support and perseverance in making league tennis available for our community as we came through the pandemic. You made it possible for our players to get back out on the courts for organized tennis.
Elizabeth continues to be the SCTA’s primary point of contact with the City of Vacaville.
Just as a house is not a home until personality takes up residence there, a tennis court offers opportunity that needs organized activity to foster and grow a tennis family.
A key component in building and nurturing a tennis community is the USPTA professional. That pro, in large part, is the heart
and soul of the tennis family.
The COVID19 pandemic shut down organized recreational tennis in the Spring of 2020. As restrictions were lifted, disparate groups picked up their rackets and returned to the courts for recreational play. But, until the Spring of 2021, nothing organized.
With the tennis director position deleted at the three In-Shape clubs, there was no legitimate way for local USPTA pros to interact with the players. Aaron King recognized the need and saw a path forward. He incorporated Solano Tennis and
contracted with the city of Vacaville to provide beginner and intermediate clinics for adults and camps/programs for the kids.
From the Spring of 2020 to the Fall of 2021, he accounted for over 400 tennis interactions with children and over 150 with
adults.
It was a start. It kept the heart beating. It was the beginning of the next chapter.
Thank you, Aaron, for your role in keeping tennis alive during this challenging time.
Pandemic response restrictions had eased enough in March 2021 that USTA announced league
play would return in the April-May timeframe. Unfortunately, the three local In-Shape clubs
retained their no-guest policy, meaning that they could not host league teams and match play.
Local players were eager to resume play but had lost their traditional team home bases.
Individual players and team captains looked for host courts. Green Valley Country Club offered
tennis-only memberships. NVTA/Vintage allowed players to join and captains to register teams.
Several players joined Bay area teams. The City of Vacaville was amenable to city park courts
being used for league play but there was no guarantee that we could meet all the USTA, City of
Vacaville, and NorCal requirements in time for the season start in May. Thankfully, it happened,
and we had procedures and insurance in place by May 5th, just days before the team registration
period closed.
The captains did their thing in those few days and registered five teams to start play in June
2021 and two more in July 2021. Kudos to Aaron King, Laura Manelia, Robyn Sickler, Paula
Martin, Ed Manelia, Rommel Bautista, Mike Fischer, Leslee Fowler, Tim Tieu, Bob Knight, and
Tony Mras for taking the lead and making local tennis possible with team play on the Centennial
Park courts. Then, we finished the 2021 year with four teams in league play starting in
September 2021 as more captains stepped forward, among them Chamane Ifland, Cynthia
Oanes, Bobby Jacoby, Ledy Delfin-Icatar, and Helen Dangtran.
Although the court environment was austere, the tennis community came to accept that league
play was possible at Centennial Park. Local teams and players returned home to play. Captains
registered 12 teams to begin play on the Centennial Park courts in January 2022! Add Angie
Vallejo, Dilcie Paschall, Lisa Tong, Andrea Hsu, Rich Foft, and John Agcaoli to the list of captains
making it possible for players to compete on local teams.
For most adults, tennis is league play. The camaraderie and competition generated by team play in many ways becomes the heart and soul, the psyche, of our tennis family. Our tradition –our story. And league play does not happen without team captains.
Thank you, team captains, for your leadership and passion for tennis.
Our local tennis world changed dramatically in early 2021 when the USTA announced that they were restarting league play post-pandemic and In-Shape management made decisions that affected our ability to continue organized activities on club courts.
The result was a blur of activity that resulted in Centennial Park serving as our de facto home base for tennis and the Solano Community Tennis Association being incorporated as the voice of tennis for the community.
A website was key to establishing our presence for both our community and the public at large. Al Arevalo stepped forward to make that happen. Even as the association was coming together, he was developing a plan for a website. He presented that proposal to the SCTA Board of Directors at its initial meeting on August 28, 2021. The directors accepted his recommendation to commit to the Groove.cm application while it was still in beta for a one-time licensing fee.
He registered the domain name scta.tennis and then worked to build content. The Solano Community Tennis Association (SCTA) website went live in October of 2021 because of the time and effort Al expended to make it happen. He continued to develop the site and add content until early 2022, when his soccer duties severely limited his volunteer time.
Thanks, Al, for bringing the SCTA to life on the internet.
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