By Rita Maloof, ALTA First Vice President
As we enjoy cooler temperatures, shorter days, and taking to the courts with over 60,000 ALTA tennis enthusiasts, the memories made by our summer/fall sportsmanship recipients will not soon be forgotten.
It’s easy to recognize extraordinary behavior but there’s only a small few who will take the extra step and act on what they witnessed. Thank you for taking the time to bring outstanding acts of sportsmanship to our attention.
Nominations can be made at any time and are reviewed seasonally. Award winners receive a letter from the ALTA president, a sportsmanship bag tag, and are recognized in Net News Magazine.
Briarcliff Woods, A7
Sunday Women’s League
Nominated by Sara Eden, Druid Hills
Our ALTA team (Druid Hills, Sunday A7) has been together for approximately 10 years. One of our dear friends and teammate, Allison Rose, has been diagnosed with cancer and has been battling it since February of this year. As the first match approached this past Sunday, our dear friend made the difficult decision to bring in hospice. Our team jumped into action to create a memorable experience for Allison who loves live music, particularly a celebration called porch fest in her neighborhood. We decided to recreate that for her in her backyard and per the family’s wishes, this could only happen on Sunday afternoon at 3.
Our captain contacted the other team’s captain, Kim Brown, the day before the match, asking if they’d be willing to play earlier on Sunday. I told her our teammate had an awful cancer diagnosis, was bringing in hospice, time was critical, and we had a chance to bring music to her and her family, and afternoon was best for Allison with her energy level. Not only did they graciously comply but they were supportive and kind. I started to thank them for being so gracious and kind for playing early, and I burst into tears. She came to me later and tearfully gave this to me … a tiny heart. Her daughter left dozens of these around her house when she left for college as “little pieces of love.” She apologized for it being beat up but explained she’s been carrying it in her wallet but wanted me to have it to help with the hurt. It was such a kind gesture. She said she was humbled by the love and loyalty demonstrated by our team and acknowledged Allison must be a very special person and friend.
Richard Kienel, Hamilton
Mill C8 Men’s League
Nominated by Blake Rouse, Three Chimneys Farm
In our match today, there was a point where Rick hit a fantastic short shot that I had to dive for. I barely got the ball and flipped it past Rick. The ball did not change direction, and I didn’t hear anything, and I thought Rick missed the ball. His partner then hit a winner that would have kept the point going. Rick’s partner, my partner and I all thought they won the point, but Rick said he touched the ball resulting in our side getting the point and game. He could have said nothing, and nobody would have been the wiser, and they would have kept the game going. Instead, he made the fair call against himself at their expense. Rick and Ben were great competitors, and their team were great hosts today (despite rudely beating us 1-4). I’ve seen plenty of bad calls in the past and this was one nobody would have known about, but Rick did the right thing. Great sportsman.
The Club at Edgewater,
B7, Senior Day Women’s League
Nominated by Katy Nix, Village at Deaton Creek
I would like to nominate our opponents for today’s match (The Club at Edgewater, B-7) for the sportsmanship award. On Sept. 3, 2024, the first match of the fall season for Senior Day Women’s league, one of our line 3 players did not show at the agreed upon time. The teams had agreed to start all lines at 9 a.m. to avoid the excessive heat we’d been experiencing this summer. Our line 3 player was in the process of moving and stressed out. She did not read the comments sent about when to arrive, but instead looked at the ALTA site this morning and saw 11 a.m., so she was late. Cynthia Krajec and Wanda Green, the line 3 players, agreed to wait until Debbie arrived. She arrived at 9:35. They had a great match, and our ladies ended up winning in a third set.
The Edgewater ladies could have easily said they wanted to take the point as a default, but they didn’t. They just wanted to play. It turned out to be a cool day with a nice breeze, which is extremely unusual for early September.
Allan McLeod,
Somerset/Cobb B1 Pickleball League
Nominated by Will George, Atlanta Pickleball Center
Allan and the Somerset team provided snacks and drinks when we played their team. Back before the pandemic, ALTA seemed to be not just about playing a sport but also getting to know your opponents and teammates after the matches. In addition, Allan and the team brought a great energy to our match — lots of fun to play against them.
