Quote for the Week -

"The will to win is important,
but the will to prepare is vital." - Joe Paterno

Saturday 12/26 Fitness Classes on Holiday

On Saturday 12/26, our 7:30am Strength and Cycle Class and 9:30am Gentle Yoga classes are cancelled for the day to give our instructors a little holiday break! See you the following Saturday at the regular time.

12/16 All Classes at Regular Schedule

All of our classes return to their regular schedule today!

Skills & Drills takes Holiday Time

Our Wednesday Skills & Drills Tennis Class will not be held for the remainder of December to give everyone a little more time to enjoy the holidays! Look for this class to resume at it's new time at 10:45am-12:00pm on January 6th in the new year.

12/15 Morning Classes Cancelled

Due to the weather, all classes are cancelled until noon today. All other classes after noon will be held on their regular schedule.

Our Club follows the Bellingham School District schedules for inclement weather: When schools are have a delayed start, all classes are cancelled until noon.

12/14 Morning Classes Cancelled

Due to the weather, all classes are cancelled until noon today. All other classes after noon will be held on their regular schedule.

Our Club follows the Bellingham School District schedules for inclement weather: When schools are have a delayed start, all classes are cancelled until noon.

Sunday Movie Ride Inside is on

My thermometer said 29 degrees this morning. So, stay warm and get your training ride in while watching a movie! Starts at 9am until the movie is done. Come and go as you need or stay for the whole movie. We'll set out stationary bikes and trainers or you can bring your own gear. There is NO instruction in this gathering of riders.

Movie gets selected by first one there!

The Sunday Movie Rides are FREE for BTC-FF Club Members & Fanatik Race Team Members, $5 for Shuksan Velo Club Members, and $10 for all other guests.

Friday Nights with Junior Slugfest

Here are four of our Junior players enjoying Friday night pizza and tennis at our Slugfest while they take a break from the court. Slugfests are open to all junior players enrolled in any of our tennis clinics or taking lessons at the intermediate level and are held once or twice per month. You can sign up for Slugfests online! Just go to our website at www.bellinghamtennis.com, click on the tennis, junior programs link and you'll see how to sign up.

Lost & Found

Our Lost & Found has grown! Check your closet to see if you are missing....
Tennis Shoes: Men's New Balance Size 10.5 #805 White
Running Shoes: Asics Gray/Red
Black Raincoat: Men's Large (Weather Proof, Garment Company)
Black Raincoat: Women's Small London Fog
Sketchers Shoes: Men's Black size 9.5
Red Columbia Fleece Jacket Size Medium
Black Weights with a strap
Black Italian prescription sunglasses.

Please ask at the front desk if you think any of these things are yours!
We will donate all unclaimed items to Good Will at the end of the month.

Don't be a Reservation Hog!

We know that everyone around here is crazy for tennis! That is GREAT! And we want court reservations to be fair to all. We have the most generous reservation policy in the Pacific Northwest (perhaps...the world?) and the system gets bogged down when there are cheaters. Most of our Members are terrific and play by the rules. If you are unsure of the rules, please read the Member Handbook that is posted in the "Members Only" section of our website and is in the front section of your 2008 Member Telephone Directory. Please remember that ALL NAMES of players must be listed on your court when you book it. If you have additions or changes, please inform the Club before you play.

But there are cheaters out there and you know who you are (so do we most of the time.) Cheaters are the ones who don't add their names to courts or switch out names because they already have too many reservations. When members cheat on their reservations, it is frustrating to all of our members because you are hogging courts.

If we find that you are abusing our reservation system you will be assessed a fee of $20 each occurance and can lose court booking/playing privileges. We are enforcing this policy immediately.

Do you want to book more than 3 Advance Reservations per 7-day period? Ask about our "TX2" Double membership which allows up to 6 Advance Reservations per 7-day period.

Please help us keep our generous reservation system the way it is by booking by the rules. Thanks!

~Robin Robertson, Owner and General Manager

Quote for the Week -

"Some people say I have attitude-
maybe I do...but I think you have to.
You have to believe in yourself when no one else does-
that makes you a winner right there." - Venus Williams

A HUGE Thank You to our Club Heros!

Give a pat on the back to....
Joeseph Deck (Member)
Eric Frankenfeld (Member)
Leasa Lowy (Member)
Ann Whitney (Member)
Matthew Iwersen Tennis (Assistant Manager & Tennis Pro)

Their quick actions on November 29th saved Member Dale Nakatani’s life after he collapsed on the tennis court. The members (three of whom happen to be doctors and one is a nurse-anesthetist) immediately started CPR followed by Matt’s attention with our AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) which brought his heart back to a regular beat. Emergency paramedics transported him to St. Joeseph’s hospital where emergency medical treatment was given to Dale.

The Nakatani family wants you to know that Dale is doing fine and will stay in the hospital for a couple of days for observation.

A Special THANK YOU to Lois Lundquist in honor of her late husband Dick Lundquist who is the primary reason we have an AED on site. Dick urged and finally convinced us several years ago to purchase the AED (a significant purchase!) and now we have saved a life because of it.

I’d say it was worth every penny.

~Club Owner & Manager
Robin Robertson

Sunday Ride Inside

We will offer a "no-host" indoor ride at 9:00 am for our members and the Shuksan Velo Club. We'll start a movie at 9:00am so you can get in a nice long ride. There is no instructor (that's the "no-host" part of the ride). Riders are welcome to use our gear (first come, first served) including Lemond or CycleOps bikes or your own bike with our Kurt Kinetic Trainers. You can always bring your own gear (bike, trainer, rollers). Please help us protect our wood floor and take off your bike cleats when walking around.

Price is the same as for our Friday Night rides:
FREE to BTC/FF Members
FREE to Fanatik Race Team members
$5 to SVC Members
$10 all other guests

Let's ride!

Quote for the Week -

"Don't let what you cannot do
interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

Sweat 24 Starts Friday at 6pm!

Haven't registered yet? No Problem! Come on down and we'll get you on the court to play tennis, ride a bike, join a class or do a revitalizing workout! Your $35 goes to two great community organizations for the Bellingham Food Bank and Lighthouse Mission.

Don't miss the fun! AND we have over 40 amazing items in our Silent Auction that will close on Saturday 11/14 at 6pm.

Join us for the fun and do something good for our community!

~Robin Robertson

Quote for the Day -

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools." - Spanish Proverb

Zombies to Present Check to Blue Skies for Children

On November 11th, at 1pm, our a few from our Zombie troupe will present a "BIG" check to the Blue Skies for Children organization for $1,100 from the proceeds of the "Learn the Thriller" dance series here at the Club. The Thriller was amazingly fun with two performances on Halloween that drew at least a thousand spectators in Fairhaven and 3,000 at Maritime Heritage Park. If you want to see some of the Zombie action, check out the YouTube videos! We had 62 people in a range of ages from 8 year olds to 60+ year olds learning the dance here at the Club. We chose Blue Skies for Children as the recipient of the donation because of Michael Jackson's love of children.

Part 1: Behind the scenes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhFxBFLlJoQ
Part 2: Fairhaven Thriller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2lbSOtE3BM
Part 3: Zombie Bus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEbbs3ojR44
Part 4: Maritime Heritage Park Thriller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JknNdaTXes

Congratulations to $50 Gift Card Winners!

Be sure to congratulate Sandy Albee, Janet Brown, Keith Kron, and Vicki Marvin who each won a $50 Gift Card! Their names were drawn from all members who checked in from August through October.

Keep using your card to check-in each time you visit! Not only is it required because it helps us keep the Club secure, but you never know what you might win!

~Robin Robertson
Club Owner

KGMI radio Interview on Tuesday 11/3

Listen for my interview on KGMI on Tuesday 11/3 at 6:45am (this is for you early birds!). Joe Teehan will talk with me about our upcoming Sweat 24 Fundraiser for the Bellingham Food Bank and Lighthouse Mission.

Listen in on KGMI 790 AM and let me know how I did! ~Robin

The Thriller Commeth

Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'alls neighborhood

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller

Bwah Ha Ha Ha Ha
Saturday Night....on Halloween....9pm at the Fairhaven Green

For some tips on Zombie Wear, check out the video below.

Quote for the Day -

"It's a dream until you write it down, and then its a goal." - Anonymous

Bratwurst is on the grill

Check out the bratwurst cooking action during our weekend Oktoberfest Tournament! To see the results of the tournement, visit our website Events page. Scroll down to the information about the Oktoberfest and click on the link to the results pdf.
Enjoy....you can almost smell these brats cookin'!

Oktoberfest a Smash!

We had a ton of fun at our Oktoberfest Tournament over the weekend. Take a look at these videos and see what was happening here at the Club!

"Thriller" Lessons are a Hoot!

We just finished the third week of our 5 week series on learning the "Thriller" dance....and we managed to zombie our way though all the steps. Practice Practice PRACTICE! We are all having a ton of fun - there are about 60 folks who have signed up for this craziness and we are all looking pretty good, even if I do say so myself. Instructors Liam, Della, and Matt are doing a great job of keeping our ghoul going. Here is what we learned last night.....the last third of the dance!


Check out this quick interview with two of our zombies....

Later this week: more dancing, more interviews, and "Zombie Wear"

Be sure to watch for us somewhere in Fairhaven at about 9pm on Halloween!

Sweat 24 Registration is Open!

Sweat 24

Helping Whatcom County’s Hungry & Homeless

November 13th 6pm-14th 6pm

3 WAYS TO HELP US REACH OUR

$10,000 FUNDRAISING GOAL!

• Participate in Sweat 24
• Bid during our Silent Auction
• Bring in non-perishable foods or personal items
  

Why a benefit for our Hungry & Homeless?
We are passionately committed to helping people live a healthier life through the physical, mental, and social benefits of exercise. We figure that one of the first steps toward better health is having enough to eat and plenty of rest each night which brings us to this fundraiser. We hope to raise awareness, money, and donated items for the hungry and homeless in our community while benefitting our participants' lives with 24 hours of fun and exercise.
How fortunate most of us are not to have to worry about where our next meal is coming from and if we'll have a place to sleep for the night. In this spirit, and as a primary step toward better health, we hope you will join us in wanting to help others in our community who DO have these concerns.

Please go to our website to learn more about this event!
~ Sincerely, Robin & Doug Robertson, Club Owners

Junior Team Tennis Travels To Stanwood

The Bellingham Tennis Club sent two teams of juniors down to Stanwood to play in a USTA Team Tennis event on October 3rd & 4th. Through the weekend the play of our future stars improved considerably.The participants were Andrea Clawson, Lauren Smith, Allyson Anders, Katie Welch, Kristin Chalmers, Taylor Harris, Joe & Peter Deck, Brendan Friesen, Reece Gilbert, Cavin Lyons, Chris Nakatani, and Max Shmotoloka. Thanks to all the parents for helping in organizing and providing transportation. Great job kids!

If you are interested in joining in on these events please contact Matthew, Carla, Debra, or TJ. These events are a great introduction to competition as well as getting to meet new friends. Let's keep this growing.

Photo finish for the BTC "You Got Served!" Traverse team!

Congratulations to Bob, Mary R., Mary L., Darcee, and Georgeann (left to right)for completing the 2009 Bellingham Traverse! It was the first entry into the event for the teammates and they "kept the pedal to the metal" all the way, finishing the 37-mile course in 4:06:30. Hope to have you all back in the race next year! For more photos of the team in action, go to: www.bellinghamtraverse.com and click on "See your photos".

Congratulations to Email Drawing Winner

Pamela Willet won a $25 gift card in our email entry drawing! You too can have a chance at winning when you provide your email on the entry forms at the front desk.
Congratulations Pamela!

THE RACE WILL BE ON!

12:30PM is "Go! Time" for the BTC "You Got Served!" Racing Team this Saturday, Sept. 19. Come out and cheer on Darcee, Bob, Georganne, Mary L., and Mary R., as they run, pedal, and paddle their way through the 37+ miles of the Bellingham Traverse. The Traverse Start/Finish is at Boundary Bay Brewery. For directions to other prime observation/cheering spots, check out the website at http://www.bellinghamtraverse.com/ or contact me here at the BTC.

GO TEAM!!!

-Scott

Personal Training...Gains!

The picture with the purple shirt is from July when I started working with our personal trainers here at the Club. I realized that my strength training program was the same old thing, giving me the same old results. You know that saying, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what your getting." And since I was not happy with what I was getting, I knew it was time for a change!

I have to say, every workout with my very own coach (personal trainer) has been challenging, fun, and invigorating. After every training session, I DEFINITELY know that I have worked out because my muscles feel tired! I am encouraged to push a little harder than I would on my own. I've gone from 12 pushups on the floor to 30 pushups (ok, with some short breaks) while using the BOSU and other challenging positions. I have been training twice per week plus cardio on my own and I like the results so far.

The picture with the blue shirt was taken today. What do you think? I am feeling stronger and like I have more muscle definition. And as I head to my 30 year high school reunion (Nathan Hale Class of '79 in Seattle), I will feel confident in wearing that sleeveless dress!

~ Robin Robertson

Free Clinics were Fun!

We had a ball teaching kids and adults tennis during our free clinics held September 12th. Check out the pictures!

Transitions

On the eve of my daughter’s 18th birthday, I went with Sarah Howes and Jan Brown to visit Caye Inglis. We had been told that she may have only days to live. On the drive there, I thought about how Caye had contacted the Club a couple of years ago when she and her husband were planning their move from Oregon and she just had to have a tennis membership. At the time we had a waiting list and I wondered about this 80+ year old who was so intent on becoming a member. When I met Caye, I began to understand what a force she was. With a smile that would light up the room and a grace of presence that we should all emulate, she was a fierce competitor on the court. She made friends quickly as our members were drawn to her. She and Joyce Vanderpol won their age bracket in the Senior Games Women’s Doubles Division just last October.

Caye was at her daughter’s house, resting in a bed aptly overlooking the tennis court at Lake Padden. She was well taken care of by her family who, I could tell, surrounded her with love and caring. They said she really had to see her tennis friends one more time. Sarah and Jan regaled stories of playing with and against Caye, and her beautiful smile and mischievous eyes would sparkle as she acknowledged those good times. I expect we will feel her presence here, as well as other wonderful members who have passed, as time goes on. I could feel that Caye was blessed by a rich life, many experiences, and wonderful relationships.

I mentioned this was the eve of my daughter’s 18th birthday because I have been coming to terms with the transition of my role in mothering my daughter. What happened to that baby wailing in my arms? There is a line in a song by Crosby Stills & Nash that says “Teach your children well”…and I hope that I have done just that. As I think back, of course there is this or that that could have been done differently. But as my husband says, we did the best we could and demonstrated our love to each other and to our kids. All parents know how challenging raising your child can be and I just hope to the heavens above that I have given her all the tools she will need as she finds her own way in this world. The biggest part of my job as “mom” for her has come to a....transition.

On this eve of launching my daughter as an adult, I find myself reflecting on the juxtaposition of these two events; Caye with a rich and wonderful life behind her and my daughter with so much ahead of her. I hope that my daughter (and really, for all of my friends and acquaintances) will have the chance to live life, love life, and have a long and fulfilling life with many travels, adventure, relationships, and happiness so that when she gets to Caye’s age, her family and friends can still see the mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Caye Inglis passed away on August 17th, 2009

Elena is happily attending a small college in California

I am working on making the transitions.

Sincerely, Robin Robertson

Polyethylene Foam Sheets For Sale

We have some left over materials from our group exercise renovation and are offering 6 sheets of closed cell polyethylene foam for only $300 (plus tax). These sheets normally retail for $96 each, so this is nearly a 50% savings! We have 5 sheets that are 8' X 4'10" plus one sheet of 7'-10" X 4'-8". The foam is made of three layers that are thermally bonded.

These are excess sheets that were to be used as underlayment for our floating wood floor in our group exercise room. But I hear that they also make great floating mats for pools!

Congratulations to Email Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Susan Willis who won a $25 gift card! For your chance to win, just provide your email on the form at the front desk and pop it into the drawing box.

BTC members will race in the Bellingham Traverse!

The BTC is fielding a fired-up team in this year's Bellingham Traverse on September 19! The BTC "You Got Served!" Traverse team will showcase the following Club members:

Mary Lawrence, Road Run (5.5 miles)
Darcee Burdick, Mountain Bike (6 miles)
Bob Harris, Road Bike (17 miles)
Georganne Keenan, Trail Run (3 miles)
Mary Rawlins, Kayak (4 miles)

Come cheer them on individually throughout the course and as they run the final half-mile together for the team finish (and cold beer) at Boundary Bay Brewery!

For more info on the race, go to: http://www.bellinghamtraverse.com/

Women's Road Bike Ride

Looking for fun, supportive, and energetic women who want to ride and train with other women? The women's team is also looking to increase the number of women who race, but racing is not required to be part of Shuksan Velo Club (Fanatik Bike Co. Team). Focus is on building the club in the women's arena so that we have a larger pool of women to ride with. SVC is not looking for the fastest riders out there, but those that enjoy the sport, enjoy supporting each other in races, enjoy learning and improving thru monthly team rides that are skill development rides. There are additional benefits for those riders that want to achieve or are at the Category 1-3 levels.

Join us for a "no-drop" ride on October 3rd leaving from Fanatik Bike Co. at 9:00am. For more information, ask Robin Robertson! We'll ride out to Samish Island and stop at the Farm to Market Bakery in Bow for a treat on the way back.

The Flooring Begins...

Scott moves the wood floor bundles into the group fitness room; 50 bundles weighing 70lbs each!

Laying out the materials. The blue pads on the left are flipped over to show white when they are layed out. These pads give the cushion to the flooring.

Jerry the flooring specialist begins to set the wood floor...

What do you mean the oak for the ramp is not stained? Robin takes it on...

A New Coat of Paint

We figured that while we had the group fitness room emptied out during its renovation, we'd give a fresh coat of paint to the one wall that gets "used" during classes. Check it out!

Watch Us Change!

We have begun our $20,000 renovation of our group fitness room....check it out! If all goes as planned, the renovation will be complete by August 16th. You can see why our group fitness classes are cancelled this week.

Pictures: Left = Before; Right = After removal of carpet and carpet baseboard. If you look carefully, you can see the old tennis court lines to the right of the rolled up blue padding.

The next step is to prep and paint the baseboard area.

BIG FIT SATURDAY is Coming!

Mark your calendars for BIG FIT SATURDAY on September 12th for free classes to try, a chance at prizes, and special membership offers! During this open house from 10 am to 5pm, you can try one of our tennis clinics, boot camp, cycling, teen agility, or yoga! Watch for our schedule coming soon!

Robin takes title at local races

Club owner, Robin Robertson, earned the Washington State Omnium Champion title for the Masters B division in the races listed below. Way to go Robin!

Our Sponsored Cycling Team Races this Weekend

Check out the three bike races organized by the Shuksan Velo Club in the Bellingham area this weekend. Fairhaven Fitness sponsors this road racing team and you'll even see me out there racing. The road race is on Saturday morning at the end of Lake Whatcom at Agate Bay. On Sunday morning you'll see the time trial beginning at Padilla Bay Interpretive Center and on Sunday afternoon is the exciting criterium in downtown Bellingham. Wish us luck!

For more information about the races and our team, go to http://www.shuksanveloclub.com/

~Robin Robertson

Junior Slammers Camp Update

The forecast is for a dry day and camp will be at Sehome High School. Bring your sweat tops, hats, & water bottles. Be ready to have fun!

Sweat 24 is Coming!

We are getting the balls rolling for our 3rd Annual 24-hour fundraiser to be held November 13-14th! Sweat 24 benefits the hungry and homeless in our community by raising money and donation items for the Bellingham Food Bank and Lighthouse Mission.

Cash and In-kind Sponsors make this event possible! Our Club provides all of the staff and the facility to run the event, and cash sponsor dollars go toward advertising, t-shirts, and prizes. Sponsorship levels are available at $250, $500, & $1000.

Thanks already to our 2009 In-Kind Sponsors! Be sure to tell them they are awesome!

Three-Sixty Designs

Copies Now

Amjay Screenprinting

Adventures Northwest

If you would like any information about this event, please contact Club Owner Robin Robertson at 360-733-5050.

Rainy Day Tennis Camp

It sure is great that we can come indoors on these wet summer days! Check out the kids having a ball at our Junior Slammers Tennis Camp going on Monday-Thursday this week. Don't miss your chance to sign up for other fun tennis camps this summer - go to our on-line registration to save your spot now! http://www.bellinghamtennis.com/

Fall Planning

Wow! Here we are in the middle of summer, yet we are nailing down the details of what is to come in the fall. Here is a sneak peek at what we have in store for you....

The first event is "BIG SATURDAY" coming on September 12th with FREE tennis clinics for kids and adults, FREE Boot Camp, FREE Cycling class, FREE beginning yoga and all sorts of other fun activities for the day. This is a great way to try out some programs that you've never done before to see if you like it! Then you'll know if you want to sign up for the tennis, boot camp, cycling, and yoga programs we have for you this fall. I'll let you know when we are going to post the schedule for this event and how you can sign up on line.

Unleash your inner ZOMBIE!
Spread the word, we just confirmed that we will be offering a "Learn the Thriller" dance series on Friday nights in October leading up to a big dance event on Halloween - on which we will be hosting a costume tennis round robin event and party!

Start planning for SWEAT 24 - our 3rd annual fundraiser for the hungry and homeless in our community to benefit the Bellingham Food Bank and Lighthouse Mission. This is a wacky 24-hour event where you can play tennis, ride a bike, or workout throughout the 24-hours starting at 6pm on Friday November 13th through 6pm Saturday November 14th. We ask that you bring donations of food or personal items and raise or contribute $25 per hour. Or, if you want to have a team that is there for the full 24 hours, the entry fee is $600 and you are guaranteed your place on a bike, on the tennis court, or in the weight room. We also offer a silent auction of 24 items with some great opportunities for gifts for you!

~Robin Robertson

Rain Days for Camps

Our outdoor camps begin next week and as much as we would like to depend on great weather, we can't always do that!

Ferndale Camps: Posted by 2pm if there will be a make-up day on Friday.

Sehome High School Camps: When the weather is iffy, we will post a notice here by 7am each day of camp to let you know if it will be outside at Sehome High School or inside at the Bellingham Tennis Club.

If we have your email, we will also email you a notice so make sure to give us those emails!
~Matthew Iwersen, Director of Tennis

Happy Independance Day!

Enjoy the 4th! We are closed so that our staff can also celebrate this great day with family and friends. See you soon!

Do the years have to mean extra pounds?

I recently took a hard look at my reflection, and while I know I am generally healthy and pretty lean, there are now some bumps and bulges and about 5lbs that didn't use to be there. Oh, it's been a slow creep, but none the less, I have not addressed it until now. And I figured I needed some help.

So, I turned (who else!) to our excellent personal trainers here at the Club. Even though I've talked about personal training to many people for years, I have not used it for a verrrrry long time. I decided that I really only wanted help with my strength training program because I have a good handle on cardio training through my cycling and racing for the Fanatik Bike Co. team. I have committed to train twice per week for 6 weeks - although I may shorten the time and add in some training with Susan Guttzeit, personal trainer specializing in Active Isolated Stretching.

This was week one. I started on Tuesday with Ginny Spooner, our Fitness Director and Trainer here at the Club. P.T. Intern Lauren accompanied the first session as she is learning how we conduct our training here at the Club. The first session was spent reviewing my health history, talking about my goals and what I wanted to work on, doing a postural and fitness assessment, and a few exercises. It wasn't a tough session, it was more about learning what my strengths and weaknesses are.

Today Ginny and I got down to it! The exercises that she showed me were different than anything I had ever thought of before and were actually FUN! We worked with bands, dumbbells, and our functional trainer doing a variety of specific muscle group moves plus some really great combination moves that incorporated strength, core, and balance. Whew! I followed up the session with 20 minutes on the elliptical burning an additional 220 calories.....Now that feels great!

Next week I meet with Ginny on Tuesday and Evan on Thursday.......
Robin Robertson

Becca Friday & Sophie Curl to run in Junior Nationals

OK, I know this isn't about tennis or something at our club, but I am just so proud of two fantastic young women who are competing in 800m at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend (June 25-28) in Eugene, Oregon. It will show on ESPN on Saturday and the prelim races are scheduled to begin at 2:20pm. They are facing probably the toughest competition they have ever had.

As many of you know, Sophie Curl is Betty's daughter. For those of you who don't know, Betty (one of our Customer Service Reps) pretty much runs the Club and is our unofficial social director, making sure you know someone from the moment you walk in our door.

Becca Friday is my daughter's best friend since second grade and our families are very close. Becca has faced many personal challenges this last year and is simply an amazing gal.

I've known both girls since they were very small. It is a wonder to me to watch them, my own kids, and all their great friends grow up to be such splendid young adults. Sophie & Becca graduated from high school this year; Sophie from Squalicum and Becca from Bellingham High School. Sophie is headed off to University of San Francisco and Becca to the University of Oregon where their running programs are eager to have them. Lucky they are! Good luck to both girls in this weekend's event. ~ Robin Robertson

Free Tennis Clinic Fun!

Everyone enjoyed our FREE Kids Tennis Clinic held on Saturday 6/20. We had so much fun that we are offering another FREE tennis clinic on 8/29 for kids ages 6-16 and beginner and intermediate level adults. Information and registration will open in the beginning of August for this next free clinic!

Junior News

Junior Team Tennis on June 20th & 21st was a great success! I want to thank all of the BTC kids and parents for helping out. Special Kudo’s for parent captains Janet Clawson & Ford Martin. Without these parents these events would not happen. We had 5 teams of 3 boys and 3 girls compete all weekend long with noticeable improvement in play and tennis knowledge in all. I want to Thank our own TJ Tipton and USTA’s Mark Toppe for a great effort before and during the event. We look forward to keeping the momentum going!

Club Scub: Feelin' Clean!

We had a hard working two days while the Club was closed for our annual maintenance. We scrubbed, trimmed, dusted, tidied, and are feeling mighty clean! We hope you will enjoy the washed courts, cleaned carpets, touched up paint, and general renewal of the Club. Thanks for your patience during our closure, and welome back!

Ultimate Body Makeover Challenge Success!

Our Challenge Winners Lana & Gwen

We had a terrific 6-weeks of our Ultimate Body Makeover Challenge where participants paced themselves to shape up! The Challenge began with a kick-off party where participants had the chance to win prizes - with the grand prize of a Bio-feedback Session with Templeton Health. Once the program began, each participant was provided with weigh-ins and measurments along with a comprehensive "how to make a change" manual. WOW....did we ever see results! Of the 22 people who started the program, 12 came in for the final weigh-ins and lost a total of 97 pounds and 8 feet of girth! For those who weren't able to attend the final weigh and measure, don't worry, we know you are making progress!

It being a challenge, of course there were winners! Winners were determined based on the number of inches and pounds lost. Check out our "Biggest Losers"...

1st place (overall) women: Gwen - received a New outfit from 4 Starrs Boutique, new hairstyle from Hair by Wendy, and $50 Gift Certificate to the Club.

1st place men: Jal - received a new hairstyle from Hair by Wendy and $50 Gift Certificate to the Club

2nd place (overall): Lana - received a Zazen Spa "Message in a Bottle" gift package including a manicure, pedicure, massage, and lunch!

3rd place (overall): Linda - received a complimentary chiropractic session from Back in Motion

4th place (overall): Fran - received a complimentary massage or stretching session with Susan Guttzeit, LMP

Everyone who attended our final party got to spin the wheel for prizes receiving gifts such as socks, Lifestyle Journal, 30-minute Personal Training, and of course Tic Tacs!

Thanks to our supporting sponsors for making this challenge really fun!
4 Starrs Boutique
Hair by Wendy
Zazen Spa
Back in Motion
Susan Guttzeit, LMP
Templeton Health

Anniversary Party & Member Appreciation a SMASH!

Thanks to everyone who attended our Anniversary Party and Member Appreciation Night on May 27th to celebrate 9 years of ownership by Doug & Robin Robertson and 36 years for the Club! With about 80 Members here, Matthew Iwersen had a good time arranging the round robin tennis event for many to enjoy. Ginny Spooner gave away lots of prizes Members spun the wheel to win - Tic tacs, gift certificates, socks, water bottles and some big prizes too. Scott Young finished up his cycling class in time to join the fun. Good food, great company, and a lovely evening. Thank you all!