End of the Tennis Season Banquet
What a fun way to end the tennis season. Lunch, wine, lots of vendors for plenty of shopping, an amazing raffle that raised lots of money for great charities. It's so much fun to get dressed up, looking sassy, and socialize with all of the ladies you have been playing against all season. I do admit it is sometimes incredibly hard to recognize everyone when their hair is down, no sunglasses, no visor, high heel shoes and full face of makeup on. I always have tons of fun and tons to say about ladies fashion on and off the court. ;) hee hee!
My team volunteered to be in charge of the raffle for charity this year. We had many wonderful prizes... Louie Vuitton bag, Michel Kors watch and hand bags, Coach braceletes, many many wine baskets, Plastic surgeons basket (lots of goodies included), restaurant baskets, money trees, martini baskets, the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, my team did not win one single prize! Bummer, but we did feel like winners anyway... we helped raise $7500.00 of donations that we decided to spilt between two wonderful charities: IDignity and Nathaniel's Hope.
IDignity was created to help the disadvantaged in Central Florida overcome the difficulties of obtaining the personal identification that is crucial to enabling them to become self-sufficient. The need for such a program was recognized by members of five downtown churches who were unable to find a resource that provided such a service. The documents that IDignity provides are required to apply for employment or school, obtain access to most shelters, vote, seek help from many social service programs, open a bank account or cash a check, secure housing or overcome many other obstacles to becoming self-sufficient. IDignity is a program that has proven to be very organized and more successful than anyone’s expectations. The demand for these services has yet to ebb and it appears that it is likely to increase during these difficult economic times.
Nathaniel’s Hope is dedicated to sharing hope with kids with special needs (VIP kids) and their families.
- Bringing hope and resources of encouragement to VIP kids and their families
- Providing practical assistance by offering free respite care for VIP kids
- Educating the community on how to be a Buddy to VIP kids and their families
- Equipping the community, especially churches, with opportunities, tools, training, and resources to reach out to VIP kids and their families
- Extending hope to VIP kids overseas
- Sharing hope with grieving families
(Kids with special needs are our VIPs. Buddies are friends of VIPs.)
We raised much more than we expected. It was a great day. A great way to celebrate the end of another wonderful season, congratulate the winners and a great way to give back to the community at the same time.
PS... my team finished second place this season. Woot Woot!
Conversely, everyone needs to understand their weaknesses. It could be you have no net game, or you have no strategy. Or you have weak ground strokes. Know this! Tell your partner your weakness, find a way to compliment both players game. 
5. Play like you have nothing to lose. There is no money to be won at the end of the day. Maybe you have the medal key chain to add to your bag. But really... go out swinging in every match. It may not be your favorite person to play with, but I bet they love tennis. And there is fun in that. You just might win, any partnership is beatable at any time. 
The one major difference that I noticed is the size of their bags. Seriously, I only saw one large tennis bag on my entire trip, and that was a man walking to the tube (smoking a cigarette). Of course all the pros at Wimbledon had huge bags~ but no one else. These ladies must not need as much stuff as we do here. They literally just carried the bag that the racket was purchased in. You know, that silly racket cover that is included with your purchase at Sports Authority.
I know you have your toes done... saw many wonderful salons throughout London. I just don't get it. My friend, Claire, who happens to be on my tennis team, she sort of has a big bag (not as big as mine), and she's from London. What's the deal? Do you only need big bags in America? On second thought, Claire does not sweat that much and her hair always looks fabulous. Maybe that's it, genetics, ladies from UK just don't need all of those products!!
Serena Williams, in true SassyGirl style finishes #1 in Rome by defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the finals of the Italian Open. Girlfriend is poppin some Monet to celebrate her 4th title in a row. Way to go Serena, truly a favorite of Sassy Tennis Girls every where. Hope to see her during my first Wimbledon experience in June. Wishing for clear sky's and beautiful weather for tennis in London. So excited! :)
But hey lets talk about this oxymoron of candy and bathing suits. Looking at Maria in her swimsuit, I find myself wanting to avoid all candies, cakes and sugar, and want starve myself for the rest of the month, so I can look at least half as good as this 26 year old Sugarpova entrepreneur. Talk about mixed signals in advertising. However, there is no doubt that she is showing us that it is hot and fashionable to rock a one piece bathing suit!! That's it... I'm getting a new one piece, so this almost 40 something tennis momma can look sassy like Maria. I can drink more wine and eat more candy and hide it all behind a one piece swimsuit! Oh yeah oh yeah!!! Love it Maria, you are so sugar sassy!!! 
Once you step off your boat at the marina, there is a palpable feeling that you have taken a step back in time. The Collier inn is a bit of hike from the marina, but it is unique stroll through a banyan tree covered walkway through the many villas and cottages of the island. Upon entering the anteroom at the Inn, you are greeted by walls adorned with countless photos of old fishing photos, many dating back to at least the early 1900s. One can feel the presence of the lingering happy spirits of fisherman who found this fishing paradise decades ago. You also immediately get the feeling that this place has seen more than its fair share of good times over the years. A warm chuckle tends to bubble up in my throat as I realize that I have contributed my fair share as well.
If you are getting ready for the up coming season....Check out one of my latest articles Getting Geared Up for The 2013-2014 Tennis Season (And Loving It) I just received my new bag from midwestsports.com, made by Asics, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!! It's the "Court Diva Bag" I'm definitely a court diva~ should be perfect!! Also available at ://www.asicsamerica.com/accessories/bags/court-diva-bag-zr1181-womens/
Big Shout out to Orlando Tennis Center, http://www.orlandotenniscenter.com/ located in downtown Orlando Florida, who hosted the ITF Pro-Circuit Tournament. What a great weekend in Central Florida. We took in the tennis tournament and Winter Park Arts Festival all in the same weekend. We visited the tournament many times throughout the week but by far our favorite day was Saturday morning singles and the doubles finals. This was followed up by the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying the festivities in Winter Park. 
Nikola FRANKOVA (CZE) / 
We sat outside on the patio for an evening of Delicious Mexican food, mojitos and margaritas with friends. The atmosphere was wonderful and so was the food. A little pricy for your typical Mexican menu but the surroundings and the drinks makes up for that. My personal favorite was the mojitos!! Woot woot. 
