Portland Athletic Club's ‘Play for Japan’ Fundraiser
Wins Strong Support From Local Tennis Community

PORTLAND, Oregon — The Raleigh Hills-based Portland Athletic Club (PAC) held a "Play for Japan" fundraiser, tennis social, and potluck luncheon on Wednesday, March 23, to raise money for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. The event combined the love of tennis with the desire to help a country in need. According to Maureen Harwood, director of “Play for Japan,” the fundraiser brought over 40 tennis enthusiasts to the club and raised over $1,500 for Mercy Corps’ Japan relief fund.

During the fundraiser, organizers staged tennis drills and games, sold T-shirts and raffle tickets, and held a lively auction with all of the proceeds going directly to Mercy Corps. PAC tennis teaching professionals, Harwood and Anthony Blackburn (who also serves as tennis “pro” at Nike World Headquarters), volunteered their time to run all the on-court tennis activities. A potluck luncheon was another component of the event and many players brought delicious Japanese dishes to share.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting such an important cause,” Harwood said. “Everyone seemed to have a great time.” Harwood would also like to thank the Portland Athletic Club for donating their courts to the cause.

A tennis student of Anthony Blackburn’s, Roberta Kanter, who attended the “Play for Japan” Fundraiser, felt a real closeness to the cause. Kanter was with her husband in Kauai, Hawaii when the tsunami hit their shores. She had to evacuate her hotel room to a local high school for safety. “I was very worried and stressed,” said Kanter. “Then I thought about how minuscule it was in comparison to what happened in Japan, and it really put everything in perspective.”

Kanter still keeps in contact with her Japanese exchange student she hosted in 1991. The student was touched by the “Play for Japan” event, and wanted Kanter to tell everyone who attended and helped with the fundraiser a very big “thank you.”

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Blackburn Student Takes Trip to Nepal and Mexico

Hoover Li, a student of Anthony Blackburn, head tennis pro at Portland Athletic Club (PAC), took two amazing trips in the past two years. Li spent a family vacation in Nepal in December of 2009. Then he traveled to Baja, Mexico in November of 2010. He has kindly shared some amazing photos from both trips below.

If you are a student of Blackburn’s and would like to share your story with us on the BTP Blog, e-mail Alyssa Morrison at abtennisinfo@gmail.com.

Hoover snorkeling off the shore of the resort. According to Hoover, the water was perfect--calm, clear and warm.

Hoover and his 75 lb mahimahi. -- This catch was cleaned, smoked and brought home to eat. The colors of the fish was much more brilliant in the water (alive).

Hoover, and Captain Endio, with his first catch of the trip. The 150 lb sailfish was caught and released, as they fish for sport.

Hoover kicking back on fishing boat from the East Cape, Rancho Leonero Resort, as he headed out to sea in the morning. Hoover said that the ocean water was as calm and warm in the mornings as it was in the afternoon.

Hoover and his wife, Shino, departing Pokhara, Nepal at Yeti Airlines. According to Hoover, the flight had incredible views, taking the right past the Himalayas.

Red clay tennis courts at Hotel Yak & Yeti in Kathmandu, Nepal. Hoover said that had he known there were courts, he would have brought his tennis racquet.

“Play for Japan” Tennis Fundraiser on Wednesday, March 23, at the Portland Athletic Club

PORTLAND, Oregon (March 21, 2011) — The Portland Athletic Club (PAC), located in the Raleigh Hills district, is hosting a “Play for Japan” tennis fundraiser and potluck luncheon on Wednesday, March 23 from 12:00-2:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per person, with all the proceeds going to Mercy Corps to help aid earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.

This will be a tennis social fundraiser, with active games and drills for any age and skill level. Participants are asked to bring food or drink to share for the potluck portion of the event. PAC would appreciate participants signing up in advance by calling 503-292-2649, or by e-mailing Alyssa Morrison, PAC tennis event coordinator, at alyssa@portlandtennisleague.com. However, walk-ins are welcome.

“This is a way for tennis enthusiasts to help the victims of Japan while playing the sport they love,” said Maureen Harwood, tennis professional at PAC and director of the “Play for Japan” fundraiser. “I hope the tennis community can all come together for a fun event that will generate funds for a country in need.”

Tennis fans that cannot attend the event, but would like to support the cause, are welcome to make a donation through the Portland Athletic Club. Please make checks payable to the Portland Athletic Club. Checks may be sent to 5803 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale, Portland, OR 97221.

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Coming Soon to Blackburn Tennis Productions and the Portland Athletic Club:

· High School Pre-District Doubles Tournament, April 29-May 1

-Keep your tennis game sharp and check out the competition early for the high school district and state tennis tournaments.

· Men’s 4.5 Hit Group

-Stay tuned: more information on this to come!

· Portland Tennis League’s Spring Session

-Includes Singles Flex, Aces, Mixed Doubles, High Noon Shoot-Out, Women’s and Men’s Doubles, Lil’ Rascals, and all Junior Divisions.

-Register today at www.portlandtennisleague.com, or call the Portland Athletic Club at 503-292-2649.

Blackburn Tennis Students attend Nike “Clash of the Champions”

EUGENE, Oregon (March 9, 2011) – The many students of Anthony Blackburn of Blackburn Tennis Productions (BTP) and head professional at the Portland Athletic Club (PAC), traveled to Eugene, Oregon, yesterday for the Nike “Clash of the Champions,” held at the grand opening of the Matthew Knight Arena on the University of Oregon campus. Phil Knight, CEO of Nike, Inc., financed the construction of this arena in honor of his late son, Matthew. This momentous occastion brought tennis greats Maria Sharapova, Vika Azarenka, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer for an exhibition match, which included women’s singles, mixed doubles, and men’s singles.

Blackburn’s tennis clients returned with much to talk about, sharing their wonderful memories with Blackburn and the rest of the Portland Athletic Club. Sharapova and Azarenka ended their tight set with a 7-point tie breaker. Mixed doubles team of Sharapova and Federer topped the team of Azarenka and Nadal 6-4. Nadal came back from a 3-5 deficit to beat Federer 7-5 in the men’s singles match, the final event of the evening. To the crowd’s great surprise, there was a guest appearance by tennis legend John McEnroe, who commentated, filled in as chair umpire, and even played some tennis.

“This event was an outstanding moment for tennis in Oregon,” said Blackburn, who is also the head tennis professional at the Nike World Headquarters. “What a remarkable experience for my students. I can tell it has already increased their passion for the game, as I’m sure it has for the thousands of others who attended.”

Blackburn, who was unable to make the trip to Eugene, enjoyed hearing all the stories from this event, and would love for his students to send him any photos they may have. Photos may be sent to abtennisinfo@gmail.com.

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Johnson, Samkutty Clinch Boy’s and Girl’s Singles Titles in High School Kick-Off Tennis Tournament

Alex Johnson, left, and Jason Nguyen were first and second place finishers in the Boy’s Singles draw. Both are members of the Portland Athletic Club, host of the High School Kick-Off Tennis Tournament.

PORTLAND, Oregon (March 7, 2011) – Alex Johnson and Madeline Samkutty, both 14, captured the Boy’s and Girl’s Singles titles in the High School Kick-Off Tennis Tournament, held at the Portland Athletic Club (PAC) last weekend, March 4-6.

In the Boy’s Finals, Johnson, a member of PAC, defeated fellow PAC member Jason Nguyen, 17, in two sets. On the girl’s side, Samkutty prevailed in a gripping three-set semifinal match against seventeen-year-old Jennifer Kearns en route to the finals, where she topped Arielle Bradford, 18. Fifteen-year-old PAC member David Govshtein was the Boy’s Singles Consolation winner, while Christina Truong, a senior at Benson High School, took the Girl’s Singles Consolation round.

According to tournament coordinator, PAC’s Alyssa Morrison, it was a jam-packed three days of youth tennis with more than 50 high school players from all over the Portland and surrounding areas participating. “I saw some real high caliber tennis matches this past weekend,” tournament coordinator Morrison said. “I look forward to hearing a lot more about these kids as their high school tennis seasons unfold.”

Since this was a non-sanctioned USTA event, coaching was allowed, and many took advantage of the opportunity. As one of the largest pre-season tennis tournaments in the Portland area, this event offered a great preview of the competition that coaches, players, and teams can expect during the upcoming high school tennis season.

“I started this tournament because I wanted to see a large, non-sanctioned USTA event that provided high school kids with an opportunity to play in a high-quality tournament without having to worry about their ranking or position on their high school line-up,” said Blackburn. “I think this tournament provided these kids with a great warm-up for their high school tennis season.”

To acquire the full tournament results, visit www.portlandathleticclub.net/tennis_academy.asp or call the Portland Athletic Club at 503-292-2649.

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The Portland Tennis League’s Winter Flex Singles Division is a “Smashing” Success

PORTLAND, Oregon (March 14^th, 2011) - The Portland Athletic Club, host of The Portland Tennis League (PTL) announces that the Winter Session of its Flex Singles League has been well received, attracting nearly 30 players, both male and female, in almost every skill level, starting with 2.5 and up through 4.5 NTRP ratings. This league has become one of the winter’s most popular and competitive tennis groups, drawing players from all over the Portland, Beaverton, and Vancouver areas.

“This league is perfect for any type of tennis player,” said Anthony Blackburn, head tennis professional at PAC and coordinator of the PTL’s Singles Flex League. “Whether you’re just trying to get back into this sport, or whether you’re looking for some high-level singles competition, the singles flex league accommodates any and all of your tennis-playing needs.”

The PTL is designed to give players of all ages and skill levels an opportunity to play numerous matches in any event. Using a round-robin format, participants get an opportunity to play a different opponent each week for eight solid weeks.

Registration is now open for the Spring Session of the Portland Tennis League. For more information, visit the PTL website, www.portlandtennisleague.com, or call Alyssa Morrison or Anthony Blackburn at the Portland Athletic Club, 503-292-2649.

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Portland Athletic Club’s Junior Academy Tennis Team Travels to Salem for First-Ever Exchange Match

Portland Athletic Club (PAC) Junior Academy tennis players gather around Academy Tennis Professional, Anthony Blackburn (center left), and his assistant Nathan Ramos (center right) on the courts at Willamette University last August. Photo by Cindy Hill.

SALEM, Oregon (August 22, 2010) – The Portland Athletic Club’s (PAC) new Junior Tennis Academy Traveling Team of 15 players traveled to Salem, Oregon on Saturday morning to play a first-ever exchange match against the junior academy players at Salem Tennis and Swim Center (STSC).

It was an all-day affair, starting with the Junior Academy members playing both doubles and singles against the juniors of STSC. After that, PAC’s Academy team drove to Willamette University, where they challenged each other in some more fun competition. They ended their evening by going to a video arcade, eating pizza, and playing a round of bowling before arriving home late in the evening. All participants received their own personalized T-shirt, with a special nickname written on the back, made especially for the trip.

PAC’s Junior Academy tennis teaching professional, Anthony Blackburn, planned, organized, and executed this trip with the help of his assistant, Nathan Ramos. “We had such a great time, and the kids represented PAC tennis very well,” said Blackburn, who intends to make this a regular end-of-the-summer trip for the PAC Junior Academy players. “I am already looking forward to next year.”

Blackburn wishes to send out a special thank you to the chaperones on the trip, Jeff and Kathryn Nuss and Cindy Hill.

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Drop-In

Have some free time? Co-Ed drop in hours will be available every Sunday until May 30th from 11: 00am - 12:30pm. It's a great way to get the family in together. Come by and check us out!

BTP Students Having Fun

Students Sue Jensen, Beth Kempton, Elaine Sibley and Rochelle Hart having fun at the 2009 BNP Paribas Indian Wells Tournament.

Junior Academy Program Schedule

Monday: Court 1 and 2 - Various Levels 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Tuesday: Court 1 - Various Levels 3:30pm - 6:30pm

Wednesday: Court 4 - Various Levels 4:00pm - 8:00pm

Thursday: Court 1 - Various Levels 4:30pm - 6:30om

Friday: Court 1 and 2 - Various Levels 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Saturday: Court 1 - Various Levels 9:00am - 1:00pm

Verify Level and Age Group - The above schedule is a general overview of court locations and time frames for Junior Academy.

BTP Nike Students

Tennis Students Vivienne Aguilera and Pete Hensing taking lessons at the Nike World Campus.
A warm farewell to Vivienne. Best wishes in Mexico!

BTP Summer Camp 2009

It's that time a year. BTP summer camps are almost here. Reserve your child's spot.

June 22-26

July 13-17

August 17-21

Ages 7 to 17, All levels, Boys and Girls

Camp time: 11:00am - 4:00pm at the Portland Athletic Club

Age and level specific drills as well as on court coaching

A fun way for your children to spend the summer while staying active.

Please call 503.292.2649 for additional information.

BTP Students Travel on and off the Court

BTP student Toni Eddy returned from India and thankfully shared a few photos.

These are amazing!

BTP 2.5 USTA

Coming this Sunday, June 7th catch the Singer/Kanter against ERC-Coughran.

For updates check out - http://tennislink.usta.com/leagues/

Enter Team Name: PAC-Singer/Kanter, Genter: Female, Leverl: 2.5

Pro Talk

FACTOR OF 4:

No matter the level, every tennis player goes through the Factor of 4 each time they prepare to hit the tennis ball.

1. Mental

2. Body

3. Footwork

4. The stroke

BTP City League H Team - Captain Sue's Motivation

Hi, team.  It's time to shake off the cobwebs that may have accumulated and dust off your rackets, check out your shoes, strings, and BODIES, and get started on another season.  If we want to hold onto our lead, we need to come out swinging (with control, of course).

The basics are always a good place to warm up. WATCH the ball off the racket. MOVE FEET, Large steps, baby steps.  DECIDE. TURN.  LOOK  at the ball. HEAD down. PUSH through the ball. FINISH the stroke. POSITION, SPLIT STEP.  STRETCH......... afterwards.

Nerve control.  We handle it in different ways.  But we all have the yips on the court- otherwise we wouldn't be really competing.  Try taking deep breaths.  Try SMILING.  We all have off and on days, some more exxagerated than others (mine)  Just know that and realize that life WILL go on if you miss a shot.

You have been so WONDERFUL this season!!!  We've got a great team of committed women and also friends.  Continue to be supportive, practice alot and have FUN!!

Captain Sue

Schedule Reminder

Classes are cancelled beginning December 22- January 3, 2009 and
will resume with a normal schedule on January 5, 2009.

Anthony wishes all a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

BTP City Leauge H Team - Captain's Corner

From Sue Jensen; captain of H Team at PAC --

The season thus far....

9/9/08 Mac Club strolls in and notices our ‘new’ uniform. Feeling suddenly nervous, they proceed to fall like a deck of cards. We win 11-4.
9/30 Club Green Meadows offers mazes of halls leading to nowhere, until we finally arrive at the courts, exhausted, and too tired to impose our will completely. They win 9-6.
10/14/08 Mac Club waits for us with usual greedy hopes. Kempton is left out of the match, as the club provides no helmets. We lose our nerves and the match, 9-6
10/28/08 LO- Pretending to be really nice, they take us to the woodshed- 9-5
11/4/08 Jazzy Sunset tries to distract us with their new lobby and catered food, but it doesn’t work. We win 10-6.
11/11/08- Mountain Park tries to discomfort us by moving to the uncomfortable side of the club. ..oops- we liked it better. We get 9 points to their 5.

Hey, team, we’re having a great year. Kudos to our Singles players, no losses at all!!
Our doubles teams have worked super hard and the whole team is ‘seasoning’ well. This looks like a trend. And, correct me if I’m wrong, we are really having a great time.

Things to work on to kick even more butt:

Commitment: make practice a high priority. Anthony wants us to come together in practice to work on drills and techniques more, as a team.

Play More: if you are playing only 2x a week, try to add one more. If you are playing 5x a week, get some rest!

Health: Stretch. Those sinews aren’t going to flatten out by themselves. Don’t step on rocks. Eat your vegetables and your protein.

Technique development: get together and work on certain shots and drills, take a lesson-- think,when you hit that ball, what would Venus or Roger do? Visualize. Look at the letters on the ball. Improve your mini-steps.

That’s all for now. In closing, do as I say, not as I do!

Sue Jensen

BTP 2003

Giving it up to old and continuing students from Anthony's 3.5 Men's group class.
Mitsuru, Hoover Li, Dave G, Jeff Ruby and Anthony himself.

Mitsuru was a former student from Japan who won a Nike singles tournament. Mitsuru is a physician who resides in Japan. He was taking lessons from Anthony, while spending time in Portland conducting medical research at OHSU.

TENNIS LOGIC

Stroke Production

1. Consistency
2. Ball Depth
3. Ball Placement
4. Power

You're stroke must possess each of the prior steps before your shot can truly be effective.

Djokvic wins Masters Cup

BIG win! Sunday, November 16, Novak Djokvic of Serbia creamed Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-5 in the Masters Cup. Djokovic earned $1.24 million, moving to 10 ranking points of Roger Federer.

Jelena Jankovic

The documentary movie of "Jelena's World" was released on 11/12. The movie depicts the life of Jelena and professional tennis. It shows the fight and achievements of Jelena's world. Right now, only airing in Serbia...hopefully will be distributed world wide.

Future BTP Student

Welcome baby Cameron James Fagan! Son of students Ashe and Pete Fagen, as well as grandma Tobey Spitzer. Hmmm...perhaps this means baby Cameron will be third generation BTP student...

2008 Davis Cup Teams

The teams have been decided! The 2008 Davis Cup final between Argentina and Spain is scheduled for November 21-23. The teams will play on an indoor court in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Playing for Argentina:
Juan Martin Del Potro
David Nalbandian
Jose Acasuso
Agustin Calleri
Captian - Alberto Mancini

Playing for Spain:
David Ferrer
Fernando Verdasco
Feliciano Lopez
Marcel Granollers
Captain - Emilio Sanchez

Men in....Gray

Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novack Djovic at the Master Cup in Shanghai. Nov. 2008.

BTP Serve

Student Hoover, using his serve lessons in a match. 1, 2, 3 and 4!

7.0 USTA League Match

BTP students Jeff Ruby, Beth Kempton, Rochelle Hart and Conrad Eutis (not pictured) played in the 7.0 USTA league match on 11.9.08 at the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation Center.

Jeff and Beth lost 2-6, 3-6
Rochelle and Conrad won 6-3, 4-6, 1-0

Great play from both teams! Way to go!

TENNIS LOGIC

Remember the four elements to stroking a ball

1: Body Position
2: Footwork
3: Mental Decisions
4: Stroke Technique

BTP Student...Sporting BTP

Student Irene Henderson was sporting her BTP t-shirt during her Wednesday evening lesson on the court. 

BTP Welcomes New Students

Anthony Blackburn would like to welcome and thank new clients:

Mariela Bastias: Mariela is and exchange student from Chile attending U.S Grant high school.

Tammy Bucy and Jodi Wilkins: Tammy and Jodi are adult beginners taking semi-private lessons and progressing quickly.

Natalie Norris and Molly Larid: Both high school freshman started with BTP at the Nike campus and are continuing at the Portland Athletic Club. Both girls are taking semi-private lessons and are playing really well.

Cassie Looker: Back in the saddle after taking a lengthy break from college tennis. She is an advanced player and is looking forward to tournaments and team tennis.

Dan Shull: Dan is an advanced beginner taking up the tennis game again. Dan is doing well and we would like to keep him in the game this time around. We expect Dan to play individual and team competition come summer 09'.

Chrissy Jeter: Chrissy is a Jr. beginner and loves the game of tennis. She is a joy to teach and has a lot of fun during her lessons. We hope to have her play on PAC's Jr USTA team tennis by this coming summer.

BTP Client's Taking 1st Place...

UPSTA Womens Tennis- 

BTP student Monica Geyer and her women's team won 1st place in the Sunriver Tennis Tournament. Way to go ladies.

Off The Court

Student Gemo Wong breaks a sweat on the court...and then hits the turn table to try and get others to break a sweat on the dance floor. 

Chanel...

For the super fabulous...

Ever thought you might need or want a Chanel tennis raquet?

You never know....perhaps it will improve your tennis game....or maybe your opponent won't be able to take his/her eyes off and you win! 

A Must Read

Learn from the Best- Marion Blackburn writes about The Best Tennis Lesson You Ever Had. This book will improve your tennis skills and give an added boost of inspiration.

Clay Tennis Courts in the Swiss Alps

Student Jeff Ruby was fortunate enough to vacation to the beautiful Swiss Alps in 2007. 4,100 feet up, Jeff visited the winter ski resort and host of the Lauberhom world cup downhill ski race in Wengen, Switzerland.

Sharapova

For the Maria fans...

September 2008 - In New York City, Maria was out and involved in many of the events for Fashion Week.

Nike Federer Workout Clinic X BTP

Roger Federer and Blackburn Tennis Productions welcomed over 200 attendees at The Bo Jackson Sports and Fitness Center (Nike World Campus) for an extreme workout clinic. Federer and BTP shared tips on technique and inspired many players on their tennis game. Once again- another successful event.

Davis Cup @ Portland Rose Garden

USA vs. Russia at the Portland Rose Garden

BTP Davis Cup Clinic

Davis Cup Clinic @ St. Johns Racquet Club with training pro's Jonathan Stark and Brad Gilbert, ex-coach of Andre Agassi.

BTP Welcomes Chiquitos

Anthony loves to support and give back to the community.

Chiquitos School (Spanish Immersion Program) received lessons from BTP.