https://thetennisclub.github.io/gsfc/
This page was last updated on 15 June 202
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tennisball Goddard Tennis Club tennisball GEWA logo

goddard racket The Goddard Tennis Club is one of the many social clubs sponsored by the Goddard Employees Welfare Association (GEWA).
The Goddard Tennis Club (GTC) is built and maintained by its members, who work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

members Goddard Tennis Club Membership Form for 2023 PDF icon

All badge-carrying employees of GSFC (contractors, civil servants and retirees) and their immediate family members are eligable to join the Goddard Tennis Club. Members may bring one guest (if the guest is eligable to enter a federal site). See the Club flyer for a summary.

In 2023, annual dues is $0 for basic membership due to Covid (GEWA does not pay any money to the club):
- $0 basic membership ($0 after August 15; $0 for summer interns/students)
- $0 per family member (optional)
- $0 per guest card (optional, limit 1)
- $15 per ball machine privilege and key (optional)

wimbledon man Where to get GTC membership applications wimbledon woman
Fill out the form and email it to Andy Negri: anegri@umd.edu.

claycourts Goddard Tennis Facility (click to visit)

GTC has 8 Har-Tru and 2 lighted hard courts in a sheltered area. Click on the courts pictured above to get: a map and directions, a tour, a description of court procedures and services, a history of the club, and GTC court maintenance.

This facility is managed by our elected officials:
- President: Maria Lecha, Maria.C.Lecha@nasa.gov
- Vice-President: Joe Miko, joseph.j.miko@nasa.gov
- Treasurer: Andy Negri, ANegri@umd.edu

Other jobs are carried out by volunteers:
- Ladder, grounds, and web:
    George Kallarakal, gtkallarakal@gmail.com
    Bill Pence, wdpence2000@yahoo.com
- Tournaments: Andy Negri, ANegri@umd.edu>

tennis.ladder GTC Ladder (click for standings)

The GTC ladder season opens on April 15th and ends October 31st, inclusive. Traditionally, anyone can challenge anyone during the first month, with the 10-rung limit imposed for matches played after May 15th. Tournament play also counts as a ladder match, unlimited by the players' standings on the ladder. You can start your own community tennis ladder using the web site TennisEngine.com to organize a membership list and manage the standings.

sport_tennis GTC Tournaments


- Spring Singles - Memorial Day weekend, give or take a week
- Fall Singles - Labor Day weekend, give or take a week

Past winners of GTC singles tournaments (click to view).

The Memorial Day Weekend 2017 singles tournament was won by Tom Kallarakal, who defeated Rahul Majaran in the final.

The Labor Day Weekend (plus one week) 2017 singles tournament was won by Jinan Zeng, who defeated Rahul Mahajan in the final 6-2, 6-2. 


The Goddard Tennis Club (GTC) will host a singles tournament over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, 
Saturday May 26, and Sunday May 27, with two matches each morning. (Rain date: Monday, May 28). 
All levels of ability are welcome. 

The GTC tournament is a "Swiss-style" round-robin:
winners-play-winners and non-winners-play-non-winners every round, 
so eventually everybody plays opponents close to their own ability. 
All Goddard and affiliate (badged) employees and their families are welcome to participate. 

The cost is $5, to cover trophies and refreshments, 
payable before the start of play at 9 am May 26 at the Goddard courts.

Please express your interest in participating by registering IN ADVANCE 
via an email to anegri@umd.edu by May 21. 

Participation will be limited to the first 20 registrants. 
Day-of registration cannot be accommodated.

The GTC tournaments are Swiss-style round-robin: winners-play-winners and losers-play-losers every round, so everybody eventually plays opponents on their own level.

The tournaments are usually open to anyone qualified to play on the GTC courts: members, family members, and guests.

Tournament play counts as a ladder match, unless one of the players explicitly says "no" before the tournament match begins.

At the discretion of the ladder chairman, ladder members playing in and completing the GTC singles tournaments are promoted to the top of the ladder, in the order that they finish in the tournament. Ladder members who receive this promotion are subject to unrestricted challenges for the next 4 weeks.

Tournament registration is on a sheet posted at courtside a few weeks before the tournament, or via phone or e-mail to the tournament director.

The tournament director is responsible for seeding, based on ladder standings and best judgement of skill. Please don't argue with him/her/it.

Andy Negri, UMd/ESSIC, is the tournament director [anegri@umd.edu].

Here are Andy's recommendations for running a tournament: 

Among the things I bring are:

Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite
Gal OJ
2 gal water with spigot
bananas
fig newtons
pretzels
ice
ice chests
cups
towels
pencils
plexiglass to cover paperwork
index cards to do matchups
cans new tennis balls for sale
plastic tablecloth (nice touch)

Attached are the flyer from 2005 Labor Day tourney (WORD)
and spreadsheet for ranking the players/recording the matches (EXCEL). 
This latter should print out on 11 by 17 paper if you select a tabloid-capable printer.

EarthBall GTC News

tennis_sign GTC Tennis Lessons

The Club frequently offers tennis lessons in May-June, by a Club member who volunteers to manage the sessions. In 2018, 12 lessons for beginners will be offered at noontime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from May 1 to June 12. The lessons are "free" to participants who join the club for the basic $60 annual membership fee.

No lessons in 2023 due to Covid

Details are listed on the 2018 Tennis Instruction Application for Beginners

tennis_sign GTC Tennis Socials

GTC holds occasional fun get-togethers for players at all levels. Drills, lessons, pick-up games, singles and doubles are options. It is up to the GTC members to organize these.

tennis_sign Casual Play

GTC has a contact list for women and/or beginners who are just looking for casual play.

To get on/off the casual players list, contact anegri@umd.edu

tennis_sign GTC Mailing List

GTC uses NASA's "lists" service to send mass-mailings to its members. Once on the GTC list, you receive all the club's broadcast e-mail. You can sign up for the GTC mailing list at https://lists.nasa.gov/mailman/listinfo/goddard-tennis-club, subject to approval by the GTC list administrators (the club officials).

tennis_sign GTC Management Reports

Treasurer's Report, start of 2017 (click to view).

You can get a membership application from the bulletin board at courtside, or download the GTC membership application form from this page.

Old GTC news and chat (click to view).

news Tennis Items of Interest

Suess Tennis Fun tennisballbouncing

tennisman Tennis Servers on the Web

tennisnet Tennis Court Construction and Maintenance on the Web

White House tennis court Local Tennis

snowy courts Winter Tennis Facilities

End Notes

Important Safety Information

NASA does not endorse any recreational items.

NASA Web Site Privacy, Security, Notices.

tennisman Dennis.Chesters@nasa.gov maintains this GEWA Goddard Tennis Club page


tennis whites man ... GTC Constitution, 1981 PDF icon ... GTC Rules, 1981 PDF icon