Callendar of Events

February 4, Noon	Men's SMIL Match
February 6, 9:30 a.m.	Women's 65+ Match
February 9, 9:30 a.m.	Women's 50+ Match
February 18, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.	Board Meeting Bunker Room

The President's Corner

Board Meeting Summary- January 19th

Our newly elected board tackled two key priorities:

*    Court Resurfacing Advocacy

We’re working to preserve funding for resurfacing courts 7 and 8. Board members have already spoken at the WRC Board meeting and both Planning and Finance Committee meetings, with outstanding member support—at least 10 members attended each session. Your participation made a real impact, and we’re grateful for the strong turnout.

We may need your support again before the final 2026 budget is approved. Large group attendance is far more effective than just a few voices, so we’ll reach out if needed.

*   Club Improvements

The board brainstormed enhancements across tournaments, socials, communications, and facilities. Exciting changes ahead:

∙A curry feast social organized by our new Social Director, Shrey Trivedi

∙New tournament formats this spring

∙Refreshed, better-organized kiosk coming next month

∙New flyers around Rossmoor promoting our free clinics and drop-in tennis

∙Facility improvements in progress

Vice President Bert Sebilia has asked members for ideas—we want to hear from you! Please share your suggestions with the board.

Mary Benin​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A Brief History of the Tennis Ball . . . . 

The tennis ball has evolved significantly since the early origins of the game. Tennis itself traces back to medieval France, where players struck a ball made of tightly bound cloth or wool with their hands in a game known as jeu de paume. As the sport developed and rackets were introduced, the ball also changed. By the 16th century, tennis balls were typically handmade, consisting of hair or wool wrapped in string and covered with stitched leather. These balls were durable but inconsistent, and their bounce depended heavily on how tightly they were packed.

A major transformation occurred in the 19th century with the invention of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear. Rubber allowed tennis balls to bounce more reliably, making outdoor lawn tennis possible and helping standardize the game. Early rubber balls were sometimes left black or white, but manufacturers experimented with visibility and durability as the sport grew in popularity. The establishment of formal tennis rules in the late 1800s also led to greater consistency in ball size, weight, and performance.

The modern tennis ball took shape in the 20th century with the introduction of the familiar yellow color, officially adopted in the 1970s to improve visibility on television. Today’s tennis balls are made with a hollow rubber core covered in felt, carefully engineered to meet strict regulations set by international tennis organizations. While the basic design remains simple, ongoing refinements in materials and manufacturing continue to shape how the ball performs, making it a small but essential part of tennis history