35 Years of Stories from Bainbridge Athletic Club

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1 Vol. 9, No. 8 October Years of Stories from By Kerrie Houston Reightley, 20+-year member of BAC Many of you know that local residents Steve Chadwick, Ron McCrary, and Sam Clarke, who also developed Meadowmeer Golf and the surrounding community, built Bainbridge Island Racquet Club in But did you know that their vision was quite removed from what BAC has become today? According to former long-time member and former shareholder Bill Van Orman, The story is that all of the partners really just wanted a steel building, with three tennis courts (and two racquetball courts, which was big then). No showers! No pro shop! Nothing but a cover so they could together play in the winter! Maybe not even heat! Needless to say, we ve come a long way. Ted and Kellan Eisenhardt purchased Bainbridge Island Racquet Club in 1991, and transformed it into in Ted first saw the Club in 1990 It was a cold, gray, winter s day, as Ted remembers, when he first stepped inside BIRC. No, I m pretty sure it was a cold, summer s day, Kellan, an Arizona native, interjected, whose only criteria for where she would live with Ted, was in a place that didn t have snow. Ted agreed to her veritable meteorological marital terms, and assured her that it rarely snows on Bainbridge Island. Anyway, he continued, it was cold and gray inside the Club, too. The lighting was terrible, the courts were painted tan and brown, and the hot tubs were leaking like crazy. I d had enough fun and sun from my fifteen years in Southern California, but still, it made me wonder But he didn t wonder for long and, as it was, their 1991 purchase coincided (imperfectly) with one of the PNW s worst winter snowstorms. As Ted scampered off to the office, to go live his dream of, in his words, the perfect intersection of tennis and business, with MBA in hand, and 15 years as a tennis professional in Marin County, Kellan was at home, literally minding the home fire and doing her best with a six-week-old baby, Ben, and an active three-year-old, Asa. I didn t know anyone here, and I felt so lonely, Continued on page 2 Go online to see our complete list of weekly tennis classes.

2 Remembering when Years of Stories Continued from page 1 Kellan said. I finally resorted to calling Welcome Wagon, and, pleading, plaintively, Does anyone know I m here? In the meantime, Ted was back at the Club, living a perfect storm, of his own Many members remember it as a simpler time. Ted looked every bit the California tennis pro, with his tidy whities and bronzed skin; and, we all, basically, went along with whatever Cup or USTA team upon which he placed us. We rarely questioned his decisions. His recollections are different from mine. It wasn t that simple, Kerrie, Ted said. There were issues. I remember spending more time figuring out women s Cup teams than on anything else! My recollection was that booking courts back then was quite the contrast from the sophisticated online bookings we have now. The court times were on a huge sheet of paper. Members would reach over the counter and fill in their names as many times as they wanted. And if they didn t find what they wanted, some would simply erase someone else s booking! Ah, those were the good ol days, indeed. In 2004, along came Shelly Stockman. Longtime member Don Bennett had the best first-time encounter to tell... We first met in the late 70s. Shelly s father, Ron, and I worked together at Boeing. Sometimes we played tennis during lunch, and returned to our desks without a shower! One day, Ron explained his frustration with Shelly, who was constantly beating him. He arranged for me to hit with a little girl who was much shorter than me (how could that be?). And gee willikers, could she hit! I won by lobbing her. Shelly will probably claim that she barely remembers playing tennis with some old man at her dad s insistence and letting him win to make her Dad happy! But these days, Shelly is much taller and more philosophical We have tried hard to put our focus on the real people that work here and belong here. I often pause when I am exercising to look around the room and think, I wonder what their story is and why they are here? I try to take a few moments every day to really appreciate that. I know people have other choices and to me it is a proud 2 feeling to know that people have come here for 35 years. We are very fortunate to be the current stewards of people experiences here at BAC. We try to stay true to the history and work hard to ensure that stories and memories are made here for many years to come. For this author, one of my many favorite memories was in A casting call had gone out on TV and radio across the nation. Tennis Underdogs was to be one of 13 episodes in a Reality TV series that Lance Armstrong s coach would host on the Fine Living Channel. The premise: Take underdogs in various sports, and turn them into überdogs by training with professional athletes. I wrote like a streak, explaining why I should be the lucky underdog even though I m not (necessarily) one. That year, (and this year), my women s BAC tennis team won the league championship. So I wrote an autobiography for my husband, Patrick. I explained how I m a Type-A corporate pilot, and how the only reason my wife (me) gave me her phone number when we met on a jet is because I told her I was a tennis player. The casting director wrote back immediately. The producer loved my (his) story and could they interview me (him)? Posing now as myself, his wife, I replied that Pat was out of town but would contact them when he returned. When I told him what I d done, he gasped: What the **** have you gotten me into, Kerrie? He was still fuming when he took the ferry to Seattle for the interview. Naturally, he was selected. And the rest of the story, as they say, is history (and the full story appeared in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine). Yes, the Club is about the many good laughs we ve shared over the years, but it s also about shared tears BAC continues to honor those late members who have touched our hearts. For years, we all enjoyed the Susan Kircher Memorial Tournament, who was one of our most beloved pros. As well as the ever-popular Manheim Mixed Doubles Tourna- Continued on page 8 October 2013

3 Fitness Holiday bazaar in November Mark your calendar for this year s Holiday Bazaar happening on November 20-21, 9am to 7pm (with a short break each day from 1:30-3pm). The event will wrap-up with sips and nibbles at our first ever Karaoke Cocktail Party on November 21 from 5-7pm. Local vendors will fill the lobby with a wide array of quality, hard-to-find, handcrafted merchandise including sterling silver jewelry, wild Alaskan salmon, wood crafts, bags and purses, canvas totes, re-cycle clocks and much more! Festivities will include Santa s little helper workshop, Reindeer Yoga, gingerbread house decorating, Cycle Santa s Route, Christmas Karaoke and a toy drop and food drive all week long. Don t miss out! See the Front Desk for more details. Youth Policy Our youth policy has been received very well by Club members of all ages. Help us to continue its success into the Fall and beyond by signing your youth member up to receive their proper certification and receive more unsupervised access to the Club. Thank you for your support and please continue to direct any questions to Assistant Fitness Director Cody Bludorn, Cody@bainbridgeathleticclub.com Nutrients for Your Bones The old adage of a glass of milk to help the bones just isn t enough. Weak or fragile bones can affect anyone and there is no better time than now to prevent osteoporosis. With proper nutrition and exercise habits you can fight the loss of bone mineral density (BMD). Come to learn from our nutrition specialist Emily Bell what to eat in order to help stimulate BMD and prevent osteoporosis. Thursday Oct. 24 1:15pm Member $10/Non-members $12 Nutrition and Fitness Energy Management Package Fitness results and good health depend on both hard work in the gym and proper nutrition outside of the Club. Maximize your results and health/well-being with our energy management package. Your trainer and our nutritionist will work together to get you on the proper program to suit your goals. You will receive a 20% discount on 4 one hour nutrition meetings with Emily, and 6 one hour training sessions with a trainer of your choice. Premier Trainer- $464 Expert Trainer- $512 Master Trainer- $560 Youth Fitness Certifications For our youth members aged our certification classes will run on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Completion of the class will earn them either an orange or blue wristband allowing them more access to the club without supervision. The class is approximately 2.5 hours and educates each youth member on the components and benefits of all around fitness. Each youth member will be shown the appropriate fitness equipment they are allowed to use at the club and go through proper form for each exercise as well as proper gym etiquette. There is a cancelation fee if 48 hours of notice is not given. Sat Oct. 5th 8:30-11am $30 Members/ $45 Non-members Sat Oct. 19th 8:30-11am $30 Members/ $45 Non-members Youth Fitness Orientations In the Fall, youth orientations for our members ages 14 or 15 will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Going through the orientation will allow youths more access to the Club and get them orange wristband status. Free for members but there is a cancellation fee if 24 hours of notice is not given. Min 1/Max 3 Wed 4-5pm Sat 12:15-1:15 pm 3 October 2013

4 Fitness Science and Yoga By Michelle Knurr, Assistant Fitness Director There are many studies in our industry showing that the practice of a variety of yoga poses is beneficial in reducing low-back pain and improving overall health. Pairing yoga with other forms of exercise can reduce stress, lower heart rate and blood pressure, help relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and improve overall physical fitness, strength, and flexibility. Yoga is a wonderful practice combining physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation and relaxation. If you re aiming to shed some excess weight, yoga might not be the only answer you are looking for. Supplementing an exercise routine including strength, cardio and flexibility will be your best bet for weight loss goals. Instructor Michelle Hutchins explains if you are experiencing low back pain, Yoga for a Healthy Back is something you should add to your fitness routine. Although this two day workshop will not heal you forever, it will offer techniques to help those who want to maintain a healthy back. Learn how to use Yoga as a form of self-care to heal and strengthen your back. You will learn general guidelines for common back issues, yoga poses for different stages of back pain as well as maintaining a healthy and fit back, mind-body connection relating to back and modifications and props to assist in a safe yoga practice. Introduction to Hatha Yoga is an excellent class for beginners or for individuals returning to a yoga practice. Instructor Christine Willi reviews the basic seated, standing, and reclining poses of Hatha yoga in a supportive environment. Each class will be a well-rounded series of poses in which you will be taught proper alignment, and will receive tips for safety. At the end of the 4-week series you will have an understanding of Hatha yoga and you will feel motivated to take your new skills to regularly scheduled level I-II yoga classes at BAC. Group Exercise Schedule Welcome to our new instructors, Pamela and Megan! Look for them on the schedule; Pamela will be teaching Zumba Gold on Mondays at 12:15pm and Zumba on Tuesday mornings at 8am. Come get your groove on and shake your hips with her this fall. Megan will be bringing us Cycle Yoga Fusion on Tuesday evenings at 5:30pm. She will take you through an invigorating 30 minute cycle workout then lead you into a calming 30 minute yoga workout immediately following. This class is perfect for wanting the best of both worlds in a timely manner! Yoga for a Healthy Back Try this invigorating two-day Yoga workshop focusing on your back. Learn techniques to maintain strength and posture and assist in dulling annoying back pain. Stretch and strengthen your way this year feeling tall and strong. Instructor: Michelle Hutchins Min 6/ Max 12 Tues/Thurs Oct. 8 & 10 11am-12:15pm $30 Members/$39 Non-members Intro to Hatha Yoga Whether you re new to Yoga, or you are looking to review basic Hatha Yoga, attend this 4 week course taught by Dr. Christine Willi (naturopathic physician and registered yoga instructor). This class will cover traditional Hatha yoga poses (asana) and breath work (pranayama) with emphasis on alignment, modifications, safety, strengthening, and restoring balance to mind, body and spirit. Min 10/Max 20 Sun Oct. 20-Nov :30 pm $60 Members/$78 Non-members 4 October 2013

5 Fitness Come try out our small group training classes designed to strengthen and change body composition. Newly added kickboxing on Wednesday night and Saturday morning will add a fun and challenging workout to your routine. Sign up for our quarterly option for October-December and receive a Nike Dri-Fit Impact training top! Please refer to our class schedule posted both online or at the Club for fall schedule changes. Any questions can be directed to Assistant Fitness Director Cody Bludorn, Cody@bainbridgeathleticclub.com $85/Quarterly (3 months) *Includes T-shirt or $35/monthly for unlimited classes! Recreation Jump Bac Junior Rope Skipping Join Lizzy Sharman, national and international jump rope title winner at this 4 week Rope Skipping Clinic. We will learn single rope, Double Dutch and long rope skills. This is a great opportunity to try jump rope, have fun, get fit and learn new skills in a non-competitive class! Min 6/Max 12. Sign up through biparks.org Ages 6-8 Sun 10/27-11/17 2-3pm $48 Ages 9-12 Sun 10/27-11/17 3:15-4:15pm $48 Tiny Tot Sports Camps (Ages 2 4) Children are introduced to the fundamentals of popular sports such as soccer, t-ball, basketball, tennis and other sports and group games, with breaks to enjoy sports related crafts. The goal is to provide the opportunity for each child to develop motor skills and nurture his/her growth socially and emotionally through teamwork and good sportsmanship. Parents welcome! Min 6/Max 10. Sign up through biparks.org Tue 10/1 10/29 10:45 11:30a $45 Tue 11/12 12/10 10:45 11:30a $45 Mine Craft Dodgeball And Fort Building Camp (Ages 8-12) Based off the ever popular game Mine Craft this half day camp is full of action, fun, and imagination with a crafty spin! Kids will create their own worlds and build forts with their friends and one of our fun BAC camp instructors followed by a Mind Craft themed dodgeball game. Pizza Dinner Included! Min 8/Max 18. Sign up through biparks.org Fri 11/22 4 8pm $49 Conference Days Activity Camp (Ages 6 +) Come and join recreation and fitness specialists for an all-day multi activity camp. Other than the games we ll play in the gym, weather permitting we will take the kids to explore the Grand Forest, hike through the woods, look for critters under logs and enjoys the outdoors. Bring a lunch. Snacks provided. Sign up through biparks.org Thu 10/17 9am 3pm $65 Fri 10/18 9am 3pm $65 Thu/Fri 10/17 10/18 9am 3pm $120 BAC members get 15% OFF on Olympic Outdoor Center paddles and tours. Coming up is the Salmon Kayak Tours and SUPn with Salmon. Just type BIAthletic when registering online at OlympicOutdoorCenter.com under Adventures. 5 October 2013

6 Recreation Veterans Day Jump Rope Camp (Ages 6+) Join Lizzy Sharman, national and international jump rope title winner, at this all day Rope Skipping Camp. We will learn single rope, Double Dutch and long rope skills. This is a great opportunity to try jump rope, have fun, get fit and learn new skills in a non-competitive camp environment! Min 6/Max 12. Sign up through biparks.org Mon 11/11 9am 3pm $72 Slam Dunk Basketball Clinics BAC s Slam Dunk Basketball clinics are dedicated to providing youth with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the game and develop their basketball skills. The clinic s environment fosters cooperative learning and enthusiasm. Kids will develop skills including shooting, dribbling, passing, defending and teamwork followed by games designed to utilize the newly learned skills. Min 6/Max 12. Sign up at the Front Desk: K-2nd grade Sun Oct 27 Nov 24 1:15-2pm $50 2nd-4th grade Sun Oct 27 Nov pm $60 4th-6th grade Sun Oct 27 Nov pm $60 Veterans Day Multi-Sport Camp (Ages 8+) No school doesn t have to mean sitting in front of the TV or playing video games all day. Keep your child active by sending them to our all day Multi Sport Camp. Give your child the chance to develop knowledge and skills in four of America s most popular sports - Basketball, Baseball (taught through kickball), Soccer and Flag Football. This camp encompasses all the key concepts of becoming a future sports star! Min 6/Max 18. Sign up through biparks.org Mon 11/11 9am 3pm $72 Parking Reminder As the gym gets busier in the fall months and the parking lot becomes more crowded please use the parking along the back of the gymnasium in the golf lot if our main lot is full! Like our Facebook page and get the latest news posted to your own page. Find us at bainbridge athletic. 6 October 2013

7 Tennis Bainbridge Cup Tennis Tournament Join in on the fun in our first Bainbridge Cup Tournament. This tournament will be run in a team format. Players sign up in teams of 4; each team should have two men and two women. Players must play in appropriate NTRP division or up. Teams compete in a team vs. team format to see which team advances to the next round. Each team match consists of 2 singles matches (one mens and one womens) and 1 mixed doubles match. Players will play a team in their own division and the team that wins the most games will advance to the next round. There will be a first round losers consolation round so each team is guaranteed 2 rounds. Sign up for 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, or 4.5. If you need help finding players for your team let us know. We ll have a social with hors d oeuvres on Saturday November 9 at 5pm. The team entry fee includes balls, prizes and the Saturday night social. Thu- Sat (and Sunday if needed) Nov 7-10 $80 per team Junior Match Play Night Players at the Jr. Elite and Elite level who want more experience playing matches will compete against players at a similar level and be provided pizza and Gatorade. This is a fun Friday night activity. There is no substitute for match play experience. Players will get coaching on point play to prepare them for high school team and tourney play. Fri Oct pm $20 includes pizza and gatorade Tennis for TOTS Tennis for Tots is for players 2-4 years old and is an introduction to the sport. Our youngest players will get familiar with the equipment, shots and skills needed to enjoy the sport of tennis. The Tennis for Tots players will even get a ball and a racquet when they sign up. Tennis for Tots Mondays Nov :30pm $50 Includes a racquet and rally ball September Mixer: Bring On the Wine Wrap-Up Our first Friday Night Mixer was a success with a great turnout of 16 players. We were able to play some fun matches, socialize and have a wonderful wine tasting event thanks to Denise Philby. Look for her specialty wines at the Holiday Bazaar! Tennis Court Time Changes Beginning November 1, our court times will be changing. The first court time M-F is 6-7:30am, then at 7:30am courts are 75 minutes. Beginning at 12:30pm, all court times are staying as is. On Saturday and Sunday, our first court is 6-7:30am and then all courts after that are 75 minutes. This will allow for 36 additional court times per week. Please check your for details and be ready to start reserving courts at the new time of 7am daily starting on November 1st. Our next session of Junior Tennis Classes start Nov 3 Our Fall Junior Tennis Clinic start date is approaching fast. If your Junior Player is a Mighty Mite, Rookie or Intermediate level player, you will sign them up through the Bainbridge Parks and Rec. Call or go online to biparks.org to sign up. If your Junior Player is in Challengers, Junior Academy, Junior Elite or Elite, sign up at the Front Desk or call Our new Fall Junior Clinic Flyer is now available online and at the Club. If you are not sure at what level your player is, Joanne@bainbridgeathleticclub.com. Weekly Tennis Classes Sign up at Clinic participants are limited, so act now. Cancellations accepted up to 24 hours in advance. 7 October 2013

8 Remembering when Years of Stories Continued from page 2 ment, to honor the memory of Garth Manheim, with proceeds from this Junior/Senior and Pro/Am tournament going to the Center for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, in which his mother, Leigh, plays an important role. Garth s father, Jonathan, said, Garth always wanted to have more trophies. So in his honor, we gave out lots and lots of trophies, and everyone had a great time. One of Jonathan s fondest memories was witnessing one young boy looking up at his dad on the court, and saying, This is SO much fun, Dad! That was certainly music to a grieving father s heart. For Ned Kiley, BAC has been a place for healing, as well. After my wife, Ruth, passed away in 2011, BAC became my home away from home and in many ways still is a center of my social, recreational and fitness life. My visits to BAC were one of the important elements in working through a healthy process of grief and recovery. I hope to continue being active at BAC as long as health and life allow. Thankfully, through life s sorrows, BAC has also been about the celebration of new life In Dinah Satterwhite s words: I was so excited with the expansion of the Club in 2005, having taught tennis in the old digs back in Here is little Cort Satterwhite at just under 6 months old, breaking in the new Kids Club at BAC! Quite a happy boy and future tennis member! The friendships that tennis has brought me over the years extend well beyond the court. And there s the other end of the spectrum, too, where parents can sneak away to the Club and have life s lenses focused on them! Jill Queen had this little confession We all watch our own children play sports and share in their triumphs and losses. But the match where my own BAC women s tennis team made it to 4.0 tennis Sectionals is still secretly my favorite victory. We are older and wiser and still the game has something to teach us. A story about BAC would not be complete without an anecdote about our 22-yearstrong Club manager, Cheri Greene, who looks strikingly similar to Connie Selleca, the star of that 80s hit TV series, Hotel. When we first purchased BIRC, there was an amazing manager, Ted said. Shortly thereafter, the former owners said, We have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Cindy is leaving. The good news, is that her sister, Cheri, is taking over. The plan was for Cheri to stay on for six months (Cheri said it was three). Her best winds of change story was: We realized how badly we needed to implement new technology when all the new hires had never used a typewriter! she said. The unexpected silver lining was Cheri s daughter, Kelsie, who began working at the Club, at the age of four. At 26, having gone off to college and married now, Kelsie is the Membership and Recreation Supervisor. I still remember sitting on my mother s lap, licking stamps, and putting the members bills in envelopes, Kelsie said. When the members came in, I d collect the $2.27 court fees. She officially started working at BAC at 16. I remember that the 16-year-olds weren t allowed to sit on the couch, Kelsie said. Well the reason was, she said with an adorable smile, was that the teenaged-workers were all falling asleep in front of the TV, instead of working! If you have a story you d like to share, please send it to me, at: Kerrielle@aol.com. In the meantime, I hope to see you at the party, to honor long-time and new members, and share some more of the stories--the island lore- -that makes our Club so unique. Last I heard, Jimmy Connors might be there in his short shorts, along with Richard Simmons. But, Richard has already been told that it s A-okay to leave his retro, multi-colored, unitard at home 8 October 2013