A seasonal magazine for the Apawamis Club members
THIS SUMMER WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT Apawamis Legacy
THIS SUMMER WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT Apawamis Legacy
LEGACY
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING MEMORIES
Our members, management team, and wonderful employees all have high expectations for our summer season. It’s the busiest time of the year and the place is buzzing.
Enjoy this issue which is dedicated to the single most important part of the Apawamis Club’s heritage: Legacy.
What’s the most important aspect of the Apawamis experience? What will be our legacy? It’s difficult to name just one. The golf course. The squash program. Racquets. Dining. Summer. The new bar. Outdoors. But, above all, our members continue to report that it’s the culture that most defines our legacy. And within the culture is the sense of community and the experiences with family and friends. Apawamis is a treasured space that continues to evolve and delight. Culture is the legacy that was fostered by previous generations and is the secret sauce for continued excellence.
I remember joining as a new member with a young family. Having moved to the area five years prior, we were very focused on fitting in and finding our place. We would dine on Sundays with other families. We learned and taught our kids to respect the Club’s traditions.
Certain long-standing members were the standard bearers. When we were in their midst, we watched our p’s and q’s. Our kids quickly learned that they, too, were expected to be on their best behavior. That’s a legacy that continues!
On another note, at a recent Board Meeting, we had a terrific presentation and discussion with Club Benchmarking and looked at best practices from other great clubs. Their research suggests that high-performing club boards focus on strategic issues and the balance sheet, while management teams operate the club. Fortunately, our management team and employees already manage our club on a daily basis and continue to perform admirably. Meanwhile, our Boards have a long history of strategic focus. For example, previous boards made sure we were sound from a capital perspective. This drove projects that impacted the Squash House, the golf course (bunkers, tee boxes, and sprinkler system), and the Upper Campus Project, and that impact will continue with the Lower Campus Pool Project in September 2023. It’s validating to hear that the Board’s focus is in the right direction, according to the research.
Big things like the improvements mentioned above matter, but so do
small things when it comes to creating experiences at Apawamis that lead to a strong legacy culture. In the small things, we can all contribute. It could be as simple as seeing litter (hopefully not a lot) and picking it up. Or fixing your pitch mark on our greens, and then maybe fixing a second one. Replacing your divots. Respecting our rules and traditions because it’s the right thing to do. Understanding club dress rules and cell phone restrictions. These things matter.
Another “small thing” that makes our culture notable is the inherent friendliness. Many times, I hear stories of guests visiting our Club and marveling at the friendliness of the place—how so many separate groups pull tables together so that members can enjoy each other’s company. Our Membership Committee continues to vet new members that will respect and add to our community. Let’s make sure to reach out and make sure they become active and accepted.
The Manager’s House has been demolished and the area was modified for staff parking. This was anticipated in 2015 as part of our long-term capital and strategic plan. It’s exciting to continue the fine work of previous Boards in
having the vision, resources, and capital to continue to carry out our intended legacy of making the Club better for generations to come. During our most recent strategic plan and member surveying, it was comforting to hear many of our senior members suggest that this work being contemplated is for the next generation. I heard someone remark, “It’s their Club now.” What’s better evidence of a strong culture and an endearing legacy?
One final note, it’s always sad to see members pass, the people who have been Apawamis staples. When a member passes, our first order of business at our next Board Meeting, after the Pledge of Allegiance, is a moment of silence to note their passing. At the April meeting, we noted the passing of Peter Sinnott III. Peter’s service to the Club spans more than 50 years. He gave his time and expertise to help make Apawamis a better place. One of Peter’s cherished moments was serving as the Entertainment Chair for our centennial celebrations in 1990. He often used his experience in construction to help the Board with many projects, such as the addition to the Squash House and the remodeling of guest rooms 3 and 4. He was very proud to work alongside his son Peter during the 2014 redecorating project of the main level of the clubhouse. I will miss the regular notes with a picture, noting the walkway to the pool washing out and other areas of the clubhouse needing attention. Peter spent much time helping oversee projects big and small. Thank you, Peter, for all you’ve done for Apawamis. You’ll be greatly missed.
I bring up Peter’s legacy as an example of the many Apawamis Members who give their time and talent. That’s a legacy for all of us to aspire to and continue.
Have a happy and safe summer, and I’ll see you around the Club.
Officers
Robert S. Amato, President
John A. Dudzik, Vice President
Sean R. Wallace, Treasurer
Michael L. Manire, Secretary
Robert S. Amato
Robert Brennan
Thomas Clayton
James Dean
John A. Dudzik
Donald L. Gorski
P. MacKenzie Hurd
Board of Governors
Michael L. Manire
Patrick J. McGovern
Blair Endresen Metrailler
Hillary Ward Murphy
David Parsons
W. Macy Steers
Sean R. Wallace
Elizabeth Everett Krisberg
Samuel H. Lerner (Jr. Advisor)
Management Contact Information General Manager/COO
Brian C. Baldwin, CCM Ext. 121 - bbaldwin@apawamis.org
Head Golf Professional James Ondo, PGA Ext. 156 - jondo@apawamis.org
Golf Course Superintendent Jace Roman jroman@apawamis.org
(636) 236-6802
Chairman of Squash Peter Briggs Ext. 202 - racquets@apawamis.org
Director of Squash Cameron Pilley Ext. 202 - cameron@apawamis.org
Director of Tennis Stjepan Beg Ext. 263 - tennis@apawamis.org
Director of Facility and Operations
Kyle Schutte-Bell Ext. 140 - kbell@apawamis.org
Executive Chef Ryan Foo, CEC Ext. 152 - rfoo@apawamis.org
Clubhouse Manager Beata Nemcokova Ext. 139 - beata@apawamis.org
Food and Beverage Manager Michael DiMagigo
Ext. 140 - mdimaggio@apawamis.org
Controller Donna Gallo, CHAE Ext. 110 - dgallo@apawamis.org
Director of Communications and Marketing
Shawn Rowley
Ext. 122 - communications@apawamis.org
Main Phone Numbers
Clubhouse (914) 967-2100
Squash (914) 967-1253
Tennis (914) 967-5140
Golf Shop (914) 967-2209
Tee Times (914) 967-5871
To see all the fun activities caught on camera, check out the Social Events Photo or the Tournament Photos web pages located under the Dining & Events heading at Apawamis.org
WELCOME LITTLE ONES
MAKING HEADLINES
MEET THE MEMBERSHIP
Legacy memberships run deep at Apawamis with more than 150 with multiple generations at the Club. Pictured on the cover are one of those families, Michael and Kathie Geoghegan and their daughter Blaine Keogh with husband Brian and their kids.
The back cover is an image from the 2023 Memorial Day holiday festivities.
Manyclubs boast about their rich history and culture, but only a few can proudly say they're one of the first private clubs in America. Through the decades, Apawamis has faced and overcome trying times, from world wars to economic crises—and yet, our Club has always persevered. What does that say about Apawamis? From my perspective as GM, it reveals just how much the Club means to the membership and, in turn, how the membership ensures the traditions and culture are passed on through legacy members.
get a sense of place as you enter the Apawamis grounds and walk through the halls with proudly hung memorabilia and members’ names etched in paint on champion boards throughout the facility. Recently, after looking at all the names in paint on the champion boards, I was astonished by how many of our former champions are now parents or even grandparents to current Apawamis members.
“You truly get a sense of place as you enter the Apawamis grounds and walk through the halls with proudly hung memorabilia and members’ names etched in paint on champion boards.”
Since the pandemic, golf has seen a resurgence, and many are choosing to join a club—with 88% of private clubs having waitlists. However, many of these waitlists will soon evaporate as we are back to our everyday lives. Our Legacy Membership program positively impacts all facets of the Club. Apawamis has always had a strong waitlist to join the Club, built through our Legacy Membership program along with deep roots in the Rye community. Currently, 31% of our Active Members are legacies and 85% of Juniors are legacies. That data point is one of the strongest statistics in the country! That’s why, even as the pandemic-era boon to waitlists at clubs around the country comes to an end, Apawamis will likely maintain its numbers.
Our high percentage of legacy members also creates a strong “sense of place” throughout the Apawamis campus. You truly
The concept of legacy carries through to our employees, with the children of many talented Apawamis team members landing positions at the Club. While, throughout the nation, hospitality workers are leaving the industry in record numbers, our great work environment has led to “legacy employees” seeking to join our staff, so we continue to gain employees rather than lose them. To be able to work alongside a second-generation employee is special. That their parents have served the Club for over 20 years, and now they’re choosing Apawamis as well, says something about the lasting culture at our Club.
As I begin my fifth season at Apawamis, it's hard to imagine that I've served you, the membership for four years. In this relatively short time, I have gained a better understanding and perspective of the Club culture and traditions that make Apawamis unique. It truly is the Apawamis “sense of place” in which legacies live on.
Thereare only a select amount of clubs in the United States that share the rich legacy of a storied golf program such as ours, which dates back to 1890. We have a remarkable history of hosting championships (1911 U.S. Amateur, 1970 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 1978 Curtis Cup, 2005 Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, etc.) and producing exceptional member golfers (think Ellis Knowles, Jack Selby, Sis Choate, and Jean Crawford).
However, there is no greater legacy regarding our success than our junior golf program. Our junior program has evolved over the years, but its most significant evolution took place in 2013, when we revamped every aspect our junior golf program. It was at this time, thanks to the unwavering support of the Golf Committee, that we were able to rethink our offerings in an effort to make our junior program one of the best in the country. In 2013, we created our Junior Golf Mission Statement, introduced the Long-Term Athletic Development Model into all of our programming, created our first PGA Junior League Team, and overhauled our offerings within the Junior Sports Camp
rogram. Since then we have added more layers of successful programming with the Advanced Junior Golf Academy, Elite Junior Golf Academy, and After-School Clinics. We also created our “Junior Golf Kickoff Day,” began hosting the Met PGA Drive, Chip and Putt Qualifier every year since its inception, and reimagined our most participatedin event each year, the Parent-Child. What a ride it has been since 2013—we now have three PGA Junior League teams with over 40 total participants, while reaching approximately 250-300 unique junior golfers each year with our programming!
Now in 2023, we enter a new phase of our junior program. Jacob Lehman has been elevated to our newly created position of Junior Golf/Player Development Professional. In this new role, Jacob will oversee our entire program and will be your go-to resource for all things junior golf at Apawamis. Jacob will be able to provide our junior program undivided attention as we take our program to greater heights. We also added Nick Novak as our new Director of Instruction. Not only does Nick possess a remarkable instructional background as a certified Jim McLean instructor, but he spent the last few years as the Director of Coaching at the Golf Performance Center, where one of his main responsibilities was to focus on the development of junior golfers into collegiate athletes and beyond. Nick knows firsthand what it takes
to create and coach highly competitive junior golfers.
The last piece of the puzzle was put into place when we added a fitness component into our junior programming with the addition of our new golf-fitness professional, Josh Cox. Josh will assist in all of our established programs, while also being available to work with our junior athletes on an individual basis. This ability to develop athletes through important growth milestones will be an incredibly beneficial component to our junior program and to our junior athletes going forward.
Our junior golf program has never been in a better place, and given the changes we made this off-season, I am incredibly excited for our future. It has been amazing to see the success of our junior athletes over the last 5-10 years, but I know that the best is yet to come for our junior golfers. Thank you very much for trusting us with the development of your junior athletes. We look forward to continuing to grow the legacy of our junior program while developing the future members of the Club!
For more information, please visit the Junior Golf page on the website for a complete listing of Junior Golf offerings for the 2023 golf season. Be sure to save the date for our Parent-Child on Sunday, July 9. If you have any questions regarding our junior programming or events, please reach out to myself, Jacob, Nick, or any of our talented professionals.
Theconcept of legacy is a funny thing. It is ever-changing and can be different, depending on with whom you speak. I think this holds particularly true when talking about golf courses. While everyone has a different set of criteria for what makes a strong legacy, one of the more common ways to measure it, is through what people say about the course’s aesthetic. Because of this, keeping a strong legacy can be a bit tricky. People in leadership positions, are ultimately tasked with maintaining the legacy of the golf course. The method by which this is achieved is subject to interpretation and, therefore, often changes based on the current regime.
The original golf courses in the Northeast and, specifically, Westchester were laid out in a similar fashion to what the golf course at Apawamis is. Over the course of the next 100-someodd years, the aesthetic of golf courses began to change and become more modern. Large, squared-off tee surfaces, led to tree-lined fairways with perfectly rounded bunkers, and up
to circular greens. Any analysis of the intent of these changes is obviously speculative, but for my money, I would say they weren’t made to erase the former legacy of the golf courses, but more to try to improve on the existing legacy. When put in terms of any other form of business, innovation is key. Apple and Samsung are in a constant battle to see who can come out with the next best phone. Golf is ultimately a business, so if a couple of golf courses start to change their aesthetic, it’s natural for others to follow suit and eventually, difficult for any to buck the trend. So why wouldn’t you constantly try to innovate and improve the property? After all, the last thing anybody wants is to be left behind by their peers.
In the last ten to fifteen years, a new trend has come about the older clubs in America. Restoration. Rather than continuing to renovate the golf courses, memberships at many historic clubs have moved towards restoring them to something resembling their original form. Somewhere along the line, someone saw that the masterpiece that they once had, had been almost completely covered up. All of the histories that had been archived over time had little connection to the current iterations of the golf courses. They felt that while the intention of improving the legacy of the golf courses was noble,
those legacies – specifically the oldest ones – are better off being protected and preserved. Therefore, the country’s oldest clubs began their quests to pay tribute to the golf courses and architects of old. This rang especially true at Apawamis. The decision was made to undergo a years-long restoration, guided by golf course architect, Keith Foster.
The vision was simple: Keep things natural and respect the original layout. The first golf course architects and builders didn’t have the same equipment that we have today and because of this, they worked with what they had. They fit their designs into the natural terrain of a property, rather than altering the property to fit the golf course—the result was a feeling that there was always a golf course there, and not that someone came in and put a golf course there. Nothing is to feel forced. No gimmicks. Just pure poetry.
When I look at the property, I not only see something close to what things originally looked like; I also see an ode to old golf courses everywhere. Grand rock formations; fine fescue, billowing in the wind; expansive views from high points, cascading down into massive swales of connected fairways throughout the property. One thing is abundantly clear to me: If someone were to ask me, “What do you have to say about the legacy of Apawamis?” My answer would be two words: Magnificent traditionalism.
“Legacy” defines Apawamis’ position in the early development of the game of golf and its growth— in America. As one of the country’s earliest Clubs, Apawamis was one of the venues where golf history in the new world was made.
Now,we have a relatively short course at just 6,700+ yards compared to most modern championship golf courses. But it wasn’t always considered short. During the early part of the 20th Century, our course was described as a “Beast” in the publications of the time. Today, because of our agronomic practices and an effort by numerous Boards to allow the course to play as it was designed, most members still regard it as a beast—not for its length but for the importance of high-quality shots.
When the Apawamis golf course was completed in 1899, Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, a course of similar length, was and is of historic importance in the evolution of golf in the UK. In many ways, Apawamis is an American version of Prestwick Golf Club, serving as an important location for golf lovers throughout America’s history.
As one of the earliest members of the then newly established USGA, the Club played a pivotal role in establishing the game of golf in the U.S. The Club hosted the 1903 Metropolitan Championship, four years after the course’s completion. The Club also hosted two National Collegiate Golf Championships.
Apawamis members have had a major impact in the evolution of golf. Genevieve Hecker won two U.S. Women’s Amateur titles. Fred Wheeler was President of the USGA, as was Findlay Douglas. Douglas was also a founder of National Golf Links of America. Sis Choate won 22 Apawamis Ladies’ Club Championships, the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in 1963, and was the Captain of the U.S. Curtis Cup Team in 1974. Jean Ashley Crawford won the U.S. Women’s Amateur title in 1965, she represented the United States on three Curtis Cup teams (1962, 1966, and 1968), and she served as the non-playing captain of the Curtis Cup team in 1972. After her playing career ended, she served for several years as a member of the USGA Women’s Committee. John Ellis Knowles won 16 Men’s Club Championships and was an impactful figure in Metropolitan Golf. He donated Harold Hilton’s putter to the Club and was a major influence in the Club’s decision to add a pool to our campus.
In 1905, Apawamis’ Horace Hotchkiss convened a group of elderly players for a friendly round of golf. That group evolved into the United States Seniors’ Golf Association. Now, because of Apawamis, you can find Seniors’ organizations in Canada, the UK, France, Australia, and numerous other countries.
In September of 1911, Apawamis hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship. That competition was won by Harold Hilton, who had won the Amateur Championship at Prestwick Golf Club earlier that year. He won two Open Championships as an amateur. The comparative: Bobby Jones won three.
In addition to Hilton, many notable players competed in the Apawamishosted 1911 event:
Chick Evans, who won two U.S. Amateur Championships and the U.S. Open.
William Fownes, the son of Oakmont Country Club Founder Henry Fownes, who was instrumental in the design of the Oakmont Golf Course. During the 1911 Amateur, Apawamis had mini-church pew bunkers between our third and fourth holes. About a decade later the famous church pew bunkers made their debut at Oakmont.
Fred Herreshoff, who was the runner-up in the Amateur after the famous 37 hole event which gave rise to the naming of Hilton’s Rock on Number 1.
C.B. MacDonald, who was a legendary golf architect who is known as the grandfather of American Golf and whose creations include Chicago Golf Club, National Golf Links of America (where he hired Seth Raynor), and Mid-Ocean Club.
Jerome Travers, who went on to win the 1915 U.S. Open and four U.S. Amateur Championships.
Walter Travis, who won three U.S. Amateur Championships and the Amateur Championship. Additionally, he was a prolific writer and an impactful course architect. His work includes the Round Hill Country Club, Ekwanok Country Club, and Westchester Country Club.
Ben Hogan purportedly said, “The Apawamis Club was the toughest short course he ever played.” And Arnold Palmer referenced Apawamis as one of his favorite Northeast US courses.
In addition, the Club has hosted the Curtis Cup, as well as the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, and the U.S. Junior Girls’ Championships.
Our caddie program has produced a number of notable individuals who went on to be among the best in their field.
Frank Presbrey’s caddie, Eugenio Saraceni (aka Gene Sarazen), started his legendary golf career at Apawamis. Nicknamed “The Squire,” Sarazen won seven majors, The Masters, two U.S. Opens, an Open Championship, and three PGA Championships. He was the first golfer to win the career grand slam.
Finally, a number of years before he introduced the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the States, Ed Sullivan spent his time as a caddie at Apawamis.
Apawamis has been an integral part of America’s history of golf, and these memories are captured through displays around the Clubhouse.
My dad used to say that as human beings, we all have a mandate to attempt three things: write one’s autobiography, write bad poetry—even if just for the purpose of self-reflection—and aspire to leave a legacy of having gone out of our way to help our fellow man. Succeed or fail, the nobility lies in the attempt.
The challenge of life is actually quite simple. Live with a purpose. Be useful for as long as your mind and body allow. Think quality rather than quantity. Create value. Each generation's salvation, redemption, and relevance depends upon its ability to envision something transformative that embodies an emotional and spiritual insight that can be preserved, chronicled, and handed down by teaching life lessons to the next generation. Understand that ideas and stories have power. Heroic exploits inspire others to strive for more and raise the bar in their own lives. Know that our true legacy is essentially what choices did we make and why. How many hearts and souls did we touch and who and how did we love? It's always been and will continue to be a matter of the mind and the heart. The nuances and intangibles of personal relationships. It actually will be the little things, the minutia and the simple acts of empathy, sympathy, and compassion that we bring to our fellow man every day that establish our personal and collective legacy. That is the stuff that will carry the day and outlive us. Did we traffic in honesty and the truth?
One hundred years from now what will be the ongoing legacy of the Apawamis squash program? Will the exhortative quotes and stories, photos and pictures of great players from past eras and generations that adorn the Squash House walls still inspire the current generation to set goals, thereby ensuring that, with great effort, the future generation’s hopes and dreams are attainable as well? Hopefully. Each new generation of players has the collective responsibility to be aware of and honor the exploits of the generation that went before them. It’s the “circle of life.” Can we control our egos and strive to be a part of something bigger than ourselves?
With any luck—if I’m still around—the squash program will continue to embrace much of the same ethos and tenets that I feel are so important and critical today for the meaningful emotional, spiritual, and physical development of its participants of all ages. The overriding purpose of a successful program is to build self-esteem and self-confidence in the individual. Nurture the idea of the student-athlete. Academics first, sports second. Teach the value of
accountability, leadership, responsibility, and equal treatment of all. Teach players how to win and lose with grace and good sportsmanship. Understand that the purpose of sports is to learn about oneself, embrace the camaraderie of shared experience, and above all, to make friends for life. In this day and age, the opportunity to play sports at Apawamis and develop meaningful and lifelong friendships is a precious gift not given to many and should be treated as such.
Ask yourself what is the mission of a school or a club, a team, a program, a coach—or for that matter, a parent—if not to launch, nurture, and attempt to instill a strong moral compass and code of ethics in our children.
“Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me, just be my friend”
There are multitudes of clubs in the area that advertise to be “family clubs.” Apawamis is among the vanguard. I have never been around a club that better embraces and prioritizes its youth with all their collective dreams and endeavors than Apawamis. The juniors and the children are the lifeblood, the wellspring, and the hope for the future. As I tell my pupils, my career is over and yours is just beginning. Listen and learn from my successes and my failures. Allow me to teach you.
–Albert Camus“Legacy is not leaving something for people—it’s leaving something in people”
–Peter StropleJames Llewellyn Briggs and Peter Briggs
Current parents who grew up experiencing the Apawamis Squash program as well as all the other sports programs now return to join the Club because they want the same experiences and memories for their kids. As a coach, nothing heartens me more than to teach multiple generations of the same family.
Aristotle said, “Our children are the legacy we leave for the time that we will not live to see. Kind and educated children are the most powerful legacy we can leave behind.”
How and what we teach our children in their formative years is definitive. Can we give them a moral and ethical template that they can use as a “North Star” to guide them through the tumultuous times and unchartered waters that lie ahead of them? That will be our successful or failed legacy. The Apawamis Club and accompanying infrastructure and its sports programs are essentially the vehicles at our disposal to teach and instill these valuable life lessons.
“I am convinced that the greatest legacy we can leave our children are happy memories: those precious moments so much like pebbles on the beach that are plucked from the white sand and placed in tiny boxes that lay undisturbed on tall shelves until one day they spill out and time repeats itself with joy and sweet sadness in the child now an adult.”
–Og MandinoAs I proffered years ago, if a parent can leave their children here at the Squash House in the morning at 9 a.m. and feel that they will be safe and pick them up again at night at 9 p.m. and know that perhaps they have learned something about life and themselves, then I am satisfied with that as my legacy.
As we continue on this journey through life and experience everything it has to offer, the life one leads, the values one holds, or the financial empire one builds can leave a legacy that lasts generations to come. Having only been a part of Apawamis for a short time, the culture within the Club and the legacies that have been created over the years are impressive to observe.
The Apawamis Club is quite generational and within the Club’s squash playing membership, legacy runs deep. We have an inspirational honor roll of both high school and college team captains that, at last count, came to more than 150. An extraordinary stat. Fast forward a few years and we are now seeing the offspring of these former standout junior players begin their own squash journey under the guidance of the Apawamis Junior Squash Program.
By Cameron Pilley, Director of Squash andIn May 2022, when we ran Apawamis’ first ever official US Squash junior tournament, almost a third of the field was made up of Apawamis juniors, which was fantastic to see. One of those juniors was a legacy squash player, young Grant Morrison who, at only nine years of age, competed in his first ever squash tournament. With proud parents Gavin and Leigh looking on (Gavin captained the Naval Academy squash team and Leigh was the squash captain at Trinity), Grant went on to finish fifth in the tournament. Twelve months later, Grant is now ranked 61 in the country and one of a host of dedicated young squash players in the Apawamis program.
We took a moment to catch up with the Morrison family about their shared passion for the game of squash, particularly how squash has become a family legacy, passed on from the elder Morrisons to their son, Grant.
Why did you both choose squash as a sport?
Leigh and I were both drawn to racket sports at an early age. For Leigh, I think her older sister Blair’s (Endresen Metrailler) early success on the squash court gave Leigh the early interest and drive to commit to the sport. For me, I think my success on the tennis court coupled with several friends beginning to pick up squash drew my initial interest. Squash is an incredibly difficult sport, and I think the more we grew as squash players the more interested we became. It’s both a mental and physical battle, and I think the challenges squash presents to every individual only grow as you get better and continue to develop. I don’t think we knew that initially, but certainly relished it as we got older and continued to challenge ourselves to get to the next level and the next level after that.
Squash has had an incredible impact on us both. We were both captains of our high-school and college teams, and Leigh was captain when Trinity won a national championship (she often shows me her ring as proof, which is similar to how I imagine Masters champions walk around their house in their Green Jackets). Jokes aside, the wins and losses over the years, whether it be as a team or individual, have helped shape our competitive spirit and attitude and I think have had just as much of an impact on our character off the court as it has on the court. As you may know, Leigh and I dated when we were in college. I was studying at Annapolis or “Navy” and Leigh at Trinity. So, looking back, squash benefitted us both in multiple ways. We got to see each other more often at what seemed to be weekly squash matches, and it also allowed me to put down my rifle, get out of military drills, and play the sport I loved—a true win-win! If I look back on it like this, I think it’s special that we both have had so much success on the squash court, and that perceived success can be viewed much larger than just wins and losses. When we look back on it through this lens, it’s the friendships we have made, the challenges
we have overcome, the big wins of course, but also the incredibly close relationships we have forged with coaches and mentors over the years.
What do you think of your son carrying on the squash legacy in the family?
We have tried to provide Grant with the opportunity to play all the sports he has an interest in. We have gently nudged him towards squash only because it’s a sport that has been so important to us and something we feel we can teach, play, and enjoy as a family. We think it’s important to introduce him to a host of sports to see what truly generates passion and inspires that inner fire. Squash has certainly caught Grant's attention, and we couldn't be prouder of his growth and more importantly his attitude on and off the court. He will be a far better player than both Leigh and me, but we can only hope he gives and takes as much from squash as we have over the years.
Why do you enjoy playing squash?
I enjoy playing squash because it is a lot of fun and I like the competition. Also, I love playing with my family.
Would you like to play squash for your school or college one day?
Yes! I would like to play for both my high school and college squash team.
When do you think you'll be able to beat your Dad at squash?
I think I will be able to beat my Dad when I’m 14! Grant is currently 10 years old.
When we take a step back and look at all of the amazing players that have come through our program, it is the sportsmanship, respect for one's opponent and the strive for excellence that stands out as the common theme. The core values and traits that are taught and passed down from generation to generation is what creates such a lasting legacy. It is a legacy that has been formed from the program itself and the impressive list of champion squash players of yesteryear. It ensures that our current juniors are in the perfect environment to follow on the same path.
Whether we like it or not, our own legacy is being written every day and is influenced by the way we live, the way we act and the way we treat others.
Every year, members marvel at our Club’s fantastic Fourth of July party. With the holiday gathering coming up soon for 2023, we thought we would take the time to detail for you how it all started.
Maryanne Lynch is a familiar face to many at Apawamis. She grew up on the twelfth hole of the golf course as one of seven children. You may have seen her winging her way around the golf course (at high speed) as a 20-year member of the Metropolitan golf team, or zipping around the clubhouse, tennis, and paddle courts and of course the golf course with grandchildren in tow. If you don’t know her by sight, you may know her by name as hers is liberally sprinkled throughout ladies’ golf championship boards lining the downstairs clubhouse hallway. But what you may not know about Maryanne is that she was, the driving force behind Apawamis’ annual party juggernaut, the Fourth of July fireworks party.
The Fourth of July celebration is Apawamis’ biggest annual party. In 2022, 1,580 people attended the beloved patriotic festivities, always held on the Fourth except for one memorable year (more on that later). And what a party it is! For years it has been a coveted invitation for non-members hoping to come as guests.
But it wasn’t always the party. Back when Maryanne and her husband Kevin joined the Club (after an Apawamis double wedding with her sister, Susie Bragg and husband Tim) in 1979, the Fourth was small potatoes. Maryanne remembers, “We probably had a cookout with a clown or something.” Members generally defaulted to home parties or events at the beach clubs.
That is, until 1993, when Maryanne, who ran the Entertainment Committee for six years before there was an official Entertainment Committee, approached thenClub management and asked, “Why can’t we have a Fourth of July party here with fireworks at the Halfway House?” They informed her that, unfortunately, fireworks wouldn’t be possible at the Halfway House because fireworks were not permissible in the town it was situated in, Harrison. That didn’t deter Maryanne. As a Harrison resident, she went to the fire department and Town Hall and filled out a lengthy form, earning approval a month later. As she puts it, “You have to ask, right?”
Another big worry was the cost of the fireworks—could the Club recoup it? Apawamis approached the neighboring club, Willow Ridge, to see if they would pay $1,500 towards the then $7,000 initial cost. But Willow Ridge demurred. Ironically (and some would say fittingly), the Apawamis party had to be moved to the following night because the fire department didn’t have a second truck available, and Willow Ridge sadly had a firework-free Fourth. After that, Willow Ridge contributed funds until 2019.
The next big question was, what should the party look like? Should people bring their own picnics? Maryanne and the managers decided that serving food was the way to go. Her vision was to make the Fourth of July at Apawamis a big family party—state fair big, with something for everyone. There would be rides, petting zoos, animals, and all kinds of food offerings, none of which required guests to cook or lug picnic baskets.
The golf course provided the perfect location, with wide-open vistas for viewing fireworks and plenty of room for entertainment. There was some initial resistance from the Golf Committee regarding the ponies related to the course’s clean-up and wear and tear. That’s how one of the early and perennial rules established by the Committee came to be: everything must be picked up by 7:00 a.m. on July 5 so the course is ready for play. In the early years, this meant cleaning up firework casings and shattered remains from the parent-child egg toss and balloon toss. Maryanne says, “Total shout-out to the people who clean up. I’m not kidding. Every year, the place is immaculate.”
The attention to detail for the first celebration was impressive, down to the plates used at the event. Maryanne says she and then-Assistant Manager Bill Lopez wanted the perfect plate: “A plate a child could hold in one hand that wouldn’t collapse with the hamburger flying all over the place.” After trying dozens of samples, they settled on something from the tray category. “You can put one of everything from the buffet on there.”
Next, looking for something casual and durable for seating, they decided to repurpose the familiar blue and white and red and white tablecloths as picnic blankets for attendees. Maryanne’s brother worked at the family’s table linen business so Apawamis was able to purchase 500 tablecloths for the first year at just $5 each. “They probably have thousands of them now—half blue, half red,” Maryanne says.
Like the goldfish in Dr. Seuss’s book, every year, the party got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Today, the Fourth of July party has swelled to over a thousand from just a few hundred guests in year one (1993). Maryanne said, “The time I realized we had made it toward my vision was when Helen Burke—in her 80s—was dancing The Macarena with her grandson, TJ (in middle school at the time). I thought, ‘This is it, this is exactly what I wanted.’”
Maryanne still gives feedback to make the Fourth of July celebration better every year. For example, in one recent year, she noted that children were playing in the stream off the tenth tee, after which snow fencing was added to keep everyone safe.
Remarkable for an event of this size and scope, Maryanne notes, “We’ve only had two mishaps in 25 years. One was a complete and total rain-out in the middle of the party, and another year the fire department couldn’t send the fire truck until a quarter to ten—leaving guests and cranky children waiting for fireworks.”
Another year almost made the list of mishaps because of the extreme heat. She recalls, “It was so hot. Just standing there, you were dripping.” At the time, Maryanne says she turned to thenAssistant Superintendent Brian Moore and asked, “What are we going to do? Everyone’s so miserable.” Then, in a stroke of genius, she suggested, “Why don’t we turn the sprinkler on?” If you’ve ever seen a golf course sprinkler in action, they resemble a firehose and span the entire fairway. Moore turned on the one on the ninth fairway, closer to the tee, and asked his staff to stand in the fairway to keep children back. Maryanne recalls, “All of a sudden, I looked over, and everyone at the party started running toward the sprinkler.” Moore memorably turned to Maryanne and said, “Mrs. Lynch, holy s----.” She recalls that while the sprinkler was only on for three minutes, “it changed the entire mood of the party. Everyone was happy and wet.”
Every year, one of her best moments comes after the festivities. “One of my favorite things ever is to stand there and watch—at the end of it—all the way down the seventeenth and eighteenth holes, hundreds of people walking down the fairway with strollers, wagons, backpacks, and kids in bare feet running back and forth. It makes me tear up.”
Us too, Maryanne, us too.
Legacy is about more than passing down physical items or property from one generation to the next. It's also about preserving the intangible aspects of our lives—the memories, stories, and traditions that connect us to our past and help us build a sense of identity and belonging in the present.
When it comes to the legacy which shapes my own sense of identity today, I can't help but think of my grandmother. She was born in Slovakia in 1940 during the heart of World War II. Her mother, my great-grandmother, struggled to feed her large family while my great-grandfather was away fighting for his country, eventually making the ultimate sacrifice. As a result, food was always scarce for my grandmother and her ten siblings.
Despite these difficult circumstances or, perhaps, because of them, my grandmother ultimately found her passion in cooking. She was always so passionate about food and cooking, and as a child, I didn’t understand the history behind why every visit to her house centered around cooking and eating. But as I grew older and she shared her childhood stories with me, I began to piece it together. My grandmother was expressing her love for us through the food she made, as she never had enough growing up—her food a symbol of her legacy, her strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Today, I keep her favorite recipes and handwritten notes to recreate the food she has been making for us for many years and continue her legacy.
Similarly, food has often served as a centerpiece for legacy moments at Apawamis. From grandeur celebrations to intimate gatherings, every meal is an opportunity to create lasting memories and carry forward cherished traditions. Thanks to Chef Ryan, meals are truly an important part of fostering a sense of community, joy, and shared experiences. From the menus that showcase a fusion of flavors to the thoughtful presentation of each dish, Chef Ryan has embraced the Club's legacy while infusing it with his own unique vision.
Beyond the everyday dining experience, I have been fortunate to be a part of some of the most important, legacy-making memories for individual families at the Club: weddings. In particular, 2020 and 2021 were years full of nuptial creativity at the Club, as we worked to help families continue their traditions and celebrate their special occasions despite the challenges of the pandemic. We hosted several weddings "under the stars," either at the Halfway House or on the Terrace.
One such wedding was for Megan Morell (Cincotta), who helped us think outside the box and create an unconventional wedding that was beyond her wildest dreams. What started as a small family celebration for just a few people quickly grew into a beautiful wedding with 170 guests in attendance. The editorial team caught up with Suzanne Cincotta, Megan’s mother, to learn how getting married at Apawamis has been a longstanding family tradition:
"We have been Active Members of Apawamis for many years, taking advantage of all the activities the Club has to offer, including golf, tennis, paddle, squash, the fitness center, Junior Sports, and the swim team. In addition, we have availed ourselves of a lesser-used service, wedding receptions, multiple times. Our knowledge of Apawamis’ wedding expertise began in 1984, when my sister, Mary Davis Stanton, held her reception at Apawamis. In addition, the fact that my father, Bob Davis, was Jerry’s (my husband) sponsor to join the Club clearly set the stage for what was to come.
The Cincotta tradition of family weddings at Apawamis spans 32 years. In 1989, Jerry and I tied the knot, and then in August 2021, our daughter, Megan, married Scott Morell. As you might expect, there were some differences between the events. Our wedding was in the Ballroom, which was substantially smaller, while Megan and Scott’s was on the Terrace on a beautiful night. Covid limited their wedding’s size, but we don’t think the size of the bar bill was at all limited. Chicken said after Megan’s wedding, ‘Mrs. Cincotta, I have never made so many expresso martinis!’ The one thing we can say with certainty about both events is that the Apawamis staff was critical to creating truly memorable events. We look back fondly on our wedding reception at Apawamis and know Megan and Scott will do the same."
Another pandemic wedding success story is that of Annie Grabowski, daughter of Bert and Tina Van Wagenen. She was able to bring her dream wedding to life, with the ceremony taking place on the picturesque golf course. Seeing the joy and happiness on Annie's face as she exchanged vows with her husband, Andy, on the course was a wonderful experience, and we were honored to have been able to help her create this lasting memory. When we asked Annie about her wedding day experience at Apawamis, she shared this:
"Apawamis has always held a special spot in my heart. I have very fond childhood memories that took place at Apawamis— day camp, Fourth of July parties, family dinners in the 19th Hole, and my now husband asking my dad for my hand in marriage on the 17th tee!
"Our wedding at Apawamis was even better than we ever could have dreamed of. From the very first conversation we had with Beata; we knew hosting our wedding at Apawamis was the right decision. Beata was extremely responsive and so knowledgeable about the ins and outs of hosting an event at Apawamis. She was willing to listen to our hopes and dreams and was a great collaborator throughout the entire planning process.
On the day of the wedding, Beata and her team went above and beyond to accommodate all of our requests and bring our vision to life. Having our ceremony out by the Halfway House was a dream of ours and Beata worked through many logistics to make it happen! The food and beverage service was outstanding—we had guests come up to us afterward to say it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding!
Sharing the venue with our closest friends and family at our wedding was so meaningful. We can't thank the Apawamis staff enough for all they did to make our wedding so special. Andy and I look forward to continuing the tradition of celebrating special events at Apawamis as we make new memories together.”
This year, I was excited to conduct our first member wedding of the season for Robert Berner IV, son of Robert and Elizabeth Berner III. Robby, as he’s affectionately called, and his wife Nora's wedding was a truly memorable and special occasion. The couple, deeply rooted in the Apawamis community, celebrated their love surrounded by the picturesque beauty of the Club's grounds. One of the remarkable aspects of Robby and Nora's wedding was the overwhelming presence of Apawamis members. It truly felt like an Apawamis community family wedding, as Robby describes below:
“Apawamis has almost been like a second home for my family over the past 30 years. It's where we have made countless friends, enjoyed many fun-filled family occasions, and (perhaps most importantly!) learned to play golf and squash. Over the past few years, Nora has come to fall in love with the Club and its members, and we couldn't have picked a more perfect place to get married.”
Most recently, among the many families at Apawamis continuing the tradition of getting married at the Club was Chris Seter, son of Arthur Seter. In May 2023, he became the second Seter family member to tie the knot at the Club. His sister Elizabeth “Liz,” who acquired her own membership in 2014, married Jonathan Bradley in 2016 at Apawamis. At the time of publication, Chris was unavailable for comment or images. We imagine they’re on their honeymoon. Congratulations to the new couple, Chris and Erin Seter.
Legacy, whether it’s memories, like my grandmother cooking for me, or tradition, like generations of Apawamis weddings, is something deeply personal and meaningful to each of us. Our entire Apawamis team and I are proud to play a small part in every member’s legacy. We always look forward to helping families create special moments and memories for years to come.
At the Club, it's not just weddings that create special moments and traditions. Participating in Club activities and programs is another way for families to build a legacy at the Club. These events help families strengthen their bonds and create lasting memories, such as the special moments shared during various holiday events and activities like Family Camping Night. Additionally, we offer various parent-child tournaments, where parents and grandparents can pass down their love for sports like golf, tennis, and more, creating a shared passion that will continue to be enjoyed by future generations. This shared love for sports is a testament to the enduring nature of legacy and the connections it creates across generations. Below are a few special moments captured on camera at our Easter Brunch, Men’s Opening Day, Women’s Opening Day, Mixed Opening Day, Tennis Parent-Child, Welcome Back, and Memorial Day events. To see all the images captured, go to the Social Event or Tournament Photos web pages under the Dining & Events heading at apawamis.org.
Please welcome the newest additions and congratulations to all of the families. If we missed including you, we’d love to share the news. Send us your bundle of joy photo and birth date and we’ll include him or her in the next edition of the Apawamis Now. Submit your details to Shawn Rowley at communications@apawamis.org.
Thethrill of victory and the agony of defeat, the famous opening to ABC’s Wide World of Sports encapsulates what it means to pick up a squash racquet and sign up to try your hand at winning the coveted Morris Invitational. Going into the Morris Invitational, you know that you will not be playing your match in obscured darkness. Your game and your character will undergo the strictest of examinations, but at the same time, if your skill level is a bit lacking, you are provided with the cozy security blanket of a generous handicap.
On to the recaps! My favorite bracket, the XO and VSOP Draw, aka the over-50 bracket, saw both teams breeze to the finals because that was all there was. Seitz partnered with member-guest mercenary John Burke and took on the former gladiator-turned-carpenter Jon Gross and his good friend Rob Robben. Handicap connoisseur Peter Briggs once again factored all variables correctly, and this match went five with the slightly spryer Seitz and Burke taking the title. Congrats!
The good news and bad news of being a doubles enthusiast and self-appointed chronicler of said activity is that there is so much to cover—we had five brackets! Covering some other club’s Member-Guest could take place on a cocktail napkin. Here at Apawamis, we need ChatGPT just to keep up. The Edsel draw saw numerous upsets much to the author’s delight. Hey, did you know we had a CSA (College Squash Association) Hall-of-famer in the draw? Quietly, David Slosburg (Class of 2021) joined up with Palmer Page to do some damage. But here’s a lesson for the rest of you. When you are up 2-0 in a match, don’t offer to concede a game in order to conserve strength for the next round. Because as we all know, that next round might never come. Brendan Doyle and Josh Neren, two products of the revived Monday Men’s Night, refused the unorthodox entreaty and proceeded to use it as fuel for their 3-2 victory. Gentlemen, welcome to the show. Unfortunately for us dramatists, this was not the start of a dramatic run to the title, and the pair ran into Kelly Brooke and Kate Mitchell ne’ Whipple, and as it was with their
father, you always walk off the court wondering how you could be annihilated by someone so polite. In the Finals, the Whipple Sisters (Coming soon to a Branson Theater near you) took down Ed Kelly and Trish Estill in four.
The Tesla Draw (editor’s note - Are we sure we want to be associated with this guy? Oh no, the press is showing bias even in country club doubles squash wrap ups. Is nothing sacred?) saw the Delaney/Burke duo who’ve been teaming up since the Reagan era reach the finals via a golden ball 14/14 in the fifth game in the semis. They took the title down with a four game win over Steve Mandel and David King.
The Rough and Smooth draw featured, and I never use that word lightly, yours truly. I discovered an unpolished gem in Joe Hughes who resides down the street and had always walked by the opulent Briggs building on his frequent dog walks wondering if he’d ever get a shot at the big time. Well the big time called but due to the author flaking out on a Briggs poetry slam, his match was spitefully relocated to the WCC against the eventual winners Aronstein and Cady. Our valiant champions squeaked by in five in front of an audience of one. Word to the wise, girlfriends show up to more matches than wives, just sayin’. The finals saw a much more healthy crowd watch Brian and Angus take down Will Simonton and John Vanneck in four.
In the Vintage Chivas bracket, former B flight standout Jeremy Burton decided to team up with his new best friend Cameron Pilley. What started out as a feel good story looked like it was going to be all too brief as they were down 2-0 to Reed Endressen and Will Broadbent. I was shown again why I am the world’s worst sportswriter because I left thinking it was over. Wrong! They clawed back and rode that much needed mojo into the semis, and again we were treated to a winner-take-all final point to take down crowd favorites Craig Daily and Elani Landman. Waiting in the finals for Cam and Jeremy was fellow SDA (Squash Doubles Association) pro Kyle Martino and Brian Leonard. This was a spirited battle with some nice squash tourney controversy. In the crucial fourth game, Lume replaced Peter as a line judge without Peter’s consent and installed me as a shadow ref to help with crucial calls. Peter, perched above the court, focused more on his social
obligations of the tourney which are enormous, and as luck would have it, a stroke situation arose and I turned out to be the deciding vote. However Peter snapped to attention when Lume announced ‘stroke,’ knowing that he hadn’t voted. But who had? I sat next to Lume repeating the mantra of the mediocre “Don’t say my name. Don’t say my name.” And then—“I asked David to be a ref.” Uh-oh. She said my name. Cam wore a bemused expression along with the rest of the competitors. “So who exactly are the refs?” I casually looked for a hole to hide out in but none was forthcoming. I was quickly removed from my post and the match continued. Leonard and Martino prevailed but not without a fight. I played with Jeremy not too long after, and he admitted that his right arm was practically hanging off. He and Brian drilled shots at each other with the pros trying to step in for put aways. At night’s end, Leonard and Martino raised the trophy as 2023 Morris Invitational Winners.
Congrats to all the winners and congrats to all the participants. There is no better feeling than showing a friend what doubles squash means to Apawamis.
The most important thing to do before playing a squash match is to ensure you do a good warm up and stretch routine. Squash is a very strenuous sport and puts a lot of pressure on your lower extremities, so it is vital to do the necessary preparation to avoid injury.
Start your warm-up in a static position:
• Foam roller, rolling your legs and your lower back
• Hamstring stretches, touching your toes while standing or sitting down
• Calf stretches
• Quad stretches
• Back stretches/Warm-up, standing and rotating your upper body with your legs and feet staying still in one direction
Move into a dynamic warm up once you feel a bit more mobile:
• Slow jogs up and down the court (5-10 reps)
• Walking lunges with an upper body twist (squash court length)
• Leg swings, holding on to the sidewall for balance to get your hips warmed up.
• Squats to stretch your hips and activate your quad and glute muscles (5-8 reps)
There are also many squash specific workouts you can do to ensure you build muscle strength and endurance in order to sustain a good quality squash game for a longer period of time. Test yourself for time and let us know how you did! You can do this fitness routine on the squash court.
The Apawamis 100:
• 20 court sprints (length of a singles court)
• 20 jump squats
• 20 push-ups
• 20 jump lunges (alternating each leg)
• 1-minute wall sit
Henry and Charlie Parkhurst: Father and Son Open Doubles
Kayley and Brian Leonard: Father and Daughter Open Doubles
Owen and Charlie Roberson: 15 and Under Open Doubles
Awards
Claire Aube 2022-23 Ivy League Women's Squash Academic All Ivy Team
Ella Erickson Rye High School’s #1 Women’s Squash Team player receives High School All-American award from US Squash for her outstanding performance and season.
Megan LaForge AAIS Squash All-Star 2023 and Spence School White Blazer Award
Paige La Forge AAIS Squash All-Star 2023
Squash FAA All-League: Henry Fogel 2025 and Winn Metrailler 2026
Squash FAA Honorable Mention: Alexander Rivas ‘25
Squash Captains
Mac Aube: Dartmouth
Ellie Burke: Dartmouth
Daphne Fallon: Sacred Heart
Henry Fogel: RCDS
Bennett Klein: Brunswick
Brian Leonard: Yale
Sarah Rivas: RCDS
Lily Smith: RCDS
Pete knows his junior players spend a lot of time on the squash courts. To ensure his players stay sharp on and off the courts, he regularly posts S.A.T. words for his junior players to review.
Venerate (verb): to regard with great respect/to revere
Pete believes that it is paramount for the current younger players in the Apawamis squash program to have a sense of history and to hold in the highest regard and venerate the champion players of the past.
Asanother remarkable paddle season draws to a close, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and privilege for having had the opportunity to lead the paddle program. It has been an extraordinary journey, and I am immensely thankful for the unwavering support and participation of the Apawamis community.
This season witnessed a surge of enthusiasm as numerous juniors and adults embarked on their paddle journeys, embracing the sport with great enthusiasm. We are committed to maintaining this momentum for years to come, continuously offering exciting activities that foster engagement and inclusivity.
A heartfelt congratulations is in order for our Women's and Men's Teams, whose outstanding performances and unwavering determination propelled them to the forefront of success. Beginning with our Women's A Team, they displayed exceptional resilience and perseverance, overcoming fierce competitors in Flight I. Despite facing the toughest competition, the team rallied together and delivered an exceptional season.
Notably, our Women's B Team showcased their prowess, securing a commendable third place finish in their flight. It was a closely contested battle, with a margin of merely 1.5 points separating them from the first-place position. A single match had the power to determine the outcome of the entire season, underscoring the intensity and competitiveness of their journey.
The Women's C Team embraced the arrival of many new players, showcasing their determination and tenacity throughout the season. They engaged in hard-fought matches that often pushed them to the limits, demonstrating their potential to ascend through the league rankings in the coming years.
Our Men's Team once again exhibited their fierce competitive spirit, consistently achieving top positions in the Rye League. Furthermore, our newly formed Hudson Valley Team, comprising players who are still in the early stages of learning the game, displayed remarkable progress and showcased promising potential. The influx of new talent has undoubtedly brightened the future prospects of our young team.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our captains, including Carolina Johnson, Kristina Dorfman, Ann Haynes, Kelly Mulvoy-Mangan, Ashley Ginnings, Kaitlin Strobel, Mary Bianchi, John Eagan, Robert Paun, and Conan Dolce. Their exceptional leadership skills, coupled with their unwavering commitment to fostering camaraderie and maintaining high levels of energy, greatly contributed to the success of their respective teams.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the season was the remarkable member participation in various events, including the Women's and Men's Club Championships, Mixed Doubles Club Championship, and Member-Guest Tournaments.
“...the highlight of the season was the remarkable member participation in various events.”Men’s: Rob Paun/Angus Aronstein (RU),and Duncan Cameron/Macy Steers (W) 2023 DOUBLES CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS Women’s B: Elizabeth Apelles/Suzanne Cincotta (W) and Charlotte Koster, Charlotte MacKenzie (RU) Mixed: Chris Burke/Jen Amatea (W) and Brian/Blaine Keogh (RU) Women’s A: Kristina Dorfman/Kieran Leonard (RU) and Loren Dinger/Kristine Forsyth (W)
These events attracted a significant number of players and showcased the exceptional quality of play on display.
The Women's Doubles Club Championship, held in early April, witnessed intense matches as teams battled fiercely for victory. Ultimately, the 2023 champions, Loren Dinger and Kristine Forsyth, emerged triumphant in the finals by defeating Kerry Leonard and Kristina Dorfman. Congratulations to these exceptional athletes for their welldeserved victory.
In the Women's B Doubles Club Championship, we witnessed a remarkable display of talent and skill improvement among the participating players. Suzanne Cincotta and Elizabeth Apelles emerged victorious after a tightly contested match against Charlotte Mackenzie and Charlotte Koster, demonstrating their dedication and growth.
The Men's Doubles Club Championship witnessed the participation of several formidable teams contesting for the prestigious title. Throughout the tournament, spectators were treated to exhilarating matches, culminating in a hard-fought battle where Duncan Cameron and Macy Steers emerged as the 2023 Champions by defeating Rob Paun and Angus Aronstein. Kudos to these remarkable gentlemen for their outstanding achievement.
In a testament to the growing popularity of our paddle program, this season marked the second edition of the Mixed Doubles Club Championship. We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who enthusiastically joined us on the courts for this exciting annual event. The final match kept spectators on the edge of their seats as Jen Amantea and Chris Burke emerged victorious, showcasing exceptional skill and determination against formidable opponents Blain and
The Women's A Member-Guest Tournament unfolded as a remarkable display of neck-and-neck competition, with every participating team in close contention for victory. With the pressure reaching its peak, Margot Navins and Catie Bave showcased remarkable composure and skill, ultimately prevailing over Jaime Warner and Lynann Cuddy in the final. We commend Margot and Catie for their outstanding performance, as well as all the participants who made this event an unforgettable experience.
The Men's Member-Guest Tournament, which attracts the highest level of paddle and garners significant attendance, took place at both Westchester CC and Apawamis, thanks to the large pool of talented players. This coveted tournament provided an exhilarating showcase of skill and competitiveness, with some of the most fiercely contested matches witnessed in recent years. The final clash featured an intense battle between Hank Forsyth and Brian O'Connor, who emerged as the winners, and the formidable duo of Angus Aronstein and Kelly Morque, who secured the finalist position. We applaud all the participants for their unwavering dedication and commendable performances throughout the tournament.
As we reflect on the successful paddle season, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the members of our Apawamis community for their camaraderie and unwavering support. Your participation and enthusiasm have been instrumental in creating a vibrant and thriving paddle program. Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate embarking on new chapters and journeys with the Apawamis membership, as we continue to foster a sense of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and excellence in the seasons to come.
As you might have witnessed through your time at the Club, our tennis program is busier than ever. The energy on and off the court is attracting new enthusiasts daily. Our tennis calendar is settling back to what we had before the pandemic, and, additionally, we are adding other fun tennis and pickleball competitive and social events like Live Ball, 105 Game, and Touch the Fence. These are social events where players gather on the courts and enjoy fun games, with refreshments set up next to the courts, encouraging members and their guests to mingle and get to know fellow tennis or pickleball players. Pickleball continues to be a fun attraction that members are drawn to. We are currently enrolled in the Sounds Shore Pickleball League, something I launched in 2022 that was very well accepted and continues to grow. We are looking forward to expanding our pickleball offerings and attendance this year.
One of the biggest hits of the tennis season thus far has been the expansion of USTA (United States Tennis Association) teams. We added two additional teams to bring our total to three—and all three are oversubscribed, with 25+ players per team. All of our teams are competing hard to place on the top of the ladder. Just as last year, feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are looking forward to building on this momentum.
The beauty of Apawamis culture lies in our strongly ingrained values and belief system passed down from generation to generation. History, heritage, and tradition are important because it gives younger generations a purpose and a pathway to continue steering their community toward the—now highly recognizable—Apawamis Legacy!
One of the families that exemplifies following the Apawamis Legacy through generations is the Burke clan. Cathy Burke, a six-time Tennis Club Champion, and her husband Ray Burke Sr., an always-present racquets sport enthusiast, have helped create a loving, nurturing community out on the tennis courts since my beginning at Apawamis 11 years ago. Their love for racquets and commitment to racquets success has transferred to their adult children, Katie, Ray Jr., and Chris, each also multiple Club Champions in squash and tennis! Finally, their grandson Tyler Burke (son of Ray Jr. and his wife, Kelly) continues the legacy by winning just about anything a young gentleman of his age can win at the Club. His brother Reed carries the family flag equally successfully on the squash courts. Needless to say, the Burke clan embodies our Apawamis racquets culture and is certainly providing a legacy example for other families at the Club.
Looking ahead to the season, I cannot reiterate this enough: the robust culture around our Apawamis tennis community is a testament to our members recognizing and supporting our efforts. As always, I don’t take your support lightly and am grateful for the opportunity to inspire community with the sport that gave me so much!
Oneof the groups most looking forward to the new swimming pool is the Fighting Frogs Swim Team. With the help of Head Coach Kim Adams, the Frogs have enjoyed a great surge of success over the last eight years, moving up from Division 5 in the Westchester County Swim Conference (WCSC)
to Division 2 this year. In each of the last two seasons, the Frogs went undefeated in their Division, ranking in the top 10 out of more than 30 teams competing in the WSCS Championship Meet. Several of our swimmers now hold WCSC records and titles, most recently including Cameron Forbes, who was a three-time conference champion while setting records in the 12 & Under Girls freestyle and backstroke events, and the 10 & Under Boys freestyle relay team of Jonathan Davis, Grant Morrison and Chase and Duncan Forbes. With a deep team of over 100 talented swimmers, Kim thinks this season is shaping up to be another great success.
As much as the Fighting Frogs swimmers and family members undoubtedly appreciate Coach Adams’ coaching skills, however, they may not know about her other claims to fame.
Kim is a national sports broadcasting star. For six years, she has been a television reporter and basketball analyst covering the NBA G League, men’s and women’s NCAA basketball and the WNBA for CBS Sports, ESPN, and Fox Sports. This year Kim made her debut broadcasting the NCAA Women’s tournament for ESPN and also called the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight on the national radio broadcast for Westwood One.
Kim also has a remarkable history of athletic success herself. She led her White Plains High School basketball team to three consecutive Section 1 Championships and appearances in two consecutive state championship games. She was an AllIvy League varsity player at the University of Pennsylvania (after turning down opportunities to swim at Duke and Northwestern following an All-American high school swimming career). Kim has a masters degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern. As
a lifelong athlete and sports fanatic, Kim’s experience and knowledge are invaluable both as a coach and announcer.
“I’ve enjoyed my time at Apawamis immensely,” says Kim. “Growing up as an athlete, I understand how valuable great coaches can be to your athletic and personal development, especially at a young age. It is very meaningful to be able to give that experience back to our incredible young swimmers.” She added, “Some of my favorite sports memories are from summer swimming at Coveleigh” (where she still holds records in freestyle and backstroke.) “I hope I am helping to create a positive experience for our kids where they can make lasting friendships and memories.”
Good Luck to Kim and the Fighting Frogs and here’s to a summer filled with success, fun and lots of great memories.
New members not pictured:
Glen Brickman
Kayti Faustini
Madeline Gallagher
Caroline O’Mahony
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the following members:
David William Florence
John T. Dillon
Peter J. Sinnott III
Alice Taylor Beringer
February 13, 2023
February 28, 2023
April 12, 2023
June 5, 2023
