Richard P. Garmany Award - Richard P. Garmany Award

Richard P. Garmany Award

AWARD DESCRIPTION:
The Richard P. Garmany Tennis & Leadership Award was established in 2011 to honor the late Richard P. Garmany, a long-time recreational tennis player who unselfishly gave his time and energy to promote the sport of tennis.  This award recognizes one male and one female Masters' Games Tennis Participant who through guidance and by their example have encouraged and inspired others to play tennis, assume leadership roles and provide education to the tennis community.  This award is supported by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.*

ABOUT RICHARD P. GARMANY:
Before his death in 2008, Mr. Garmany, a former executive at Aetna, created a donor-advised fund at the Hartford Foundation through his will.  Since then, grants totaling more than $1 million have been awarded to support dozens of nonprofits, including Hartford Hospital, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Connecticut River Watershed Council.

2015 Winners:

  • Ron Musick has played singles and doubles in the Connecticut Masters’ Games for the past five consecutive years.  In 2009, Ron qualified for the National Senior Games in singles and doubles, and represented Connecticut in Palo Alto, California.  He also qualified in Connecticut for the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland, Ohio in doubles. Ron is also a member of the Neipsic Tennis Club in Glastonbury, CT. He is a highly respected member of the Connecticut and New England tennis community and because of his service; many others have been introduced to and enjoyed the sport of tennis.
    • Achievements
      • Captain the Senior and Super Senior teams and has qualified for USTA Sectional Tournament a number of times
      • Served on the Board of Directors and has for many seasons played on club teams in the Greater Hartford Tennis League
      • Helped create, run, and participate in an indoor East Hartford Racquet Club tennis league 

 

  • Margo Chase-Wells has competed in the Senior Games for tennis for 3 years and qualified for the 2013 Nationals. For the past 8 years she has assisted as a tennis teaching pro for clinics, mini-camps, and skill sessions at the Wesleyan and Rocky Hill courts. Margo has been a tournament director for the CT Masters Games in both pickleball and tennis for the past 3 years. She serves as the scheduler for the New Haven Tennis Summer league – where she was instrumental in rechristening it the “Carolyn Vanacore Tennis Association”. She is currently serving  as a pickleball ambassador for the Central CT area having given over 15 demos and clinics since 2012 and has started programs at 5 different sites.
    • Achievements
      • Captained 8 Different USTA team at the 4.0 and 4.5 level including Senior team, Greater Hartford Tennis League, and World Team Tennis
      • Director of the Summer Singles Tennis League based out of Connecticut
      • Won multiple medals in three different sports (Table Tennis, Tennis, and Pickleball) in the CT Masters' Games
      • Ranked 5th Nationally for USA Pickleball in her age group

2014 Winners:

  • Larry Pollack started playing tennis in Wisconsin, and by the time he was in his teens Larry was a top player in the state playing singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. His competitiveness followed him while playing Varsity tennis at the University of Wisconsin. While enrolled in both Undergrad and Graduate studies at UW, Larry conveyed his love for the game by teaching tennis around the clock at the Nielsen Tennis Center and Middleton High school. Later in life, as a business career took hold, Larry continued to play tennis socially and has been playing for over 50 years. Now in retirement Larry is able to be a volunteer girls coach at Simsbury High School; this enables him to make sure more young ladies are able to participate in the game he loves. 
    •  COMPETITIVE TENNIS ACHIEVEMENTS:
      • Played College Tennis at the University of Wisconsin- Madison
      • Coached Tennis at Nielsen Tennis Center and Middleton High School
      • Currently Volunteers at Simsbury High School with the Girls Tennis Team

         
  • Growing up Lynn Pollack played many sports and was a gymnast at Greenwich High school and the University of New Hampshire. These prior athletic experiences have prepared Lynn to be a competitive tennis player. Although Lynn is a relative newcomer to tennis, she has been concentrating on the sport for the last 5 years and has played in numerous USTA leagues. An avid fan of the game, she has helped inspire her daughters to enjoy tennis and make it their life-long sport.
    • Tennis Achievements:
      • Plays in numerous USTA Leagues
      • Plan to play tennis in the 2014 CT Masters’ games in Mixed Doubles and Men’s Singles
      • Helped inspire her daughters to take up the game of tennis
      • Lynn volunteers in math tutoring with kids from the inner city at Trinity Church
      • Supporter of Farmington Valley Arc

2013 Winners:

  • Milan J. Turk was introduced to tennis at about the age of 10 when one of his father’s associates gave me an early 20th century solid wood racquet made of ash and mahogany.  It had a 3 inch diameter unwrapped grip and showed a lot of age.  He cut the grip size down considerably, put a leather wrap on it, refinished the wood and had it restrung.  This was his first racquet and he played with it through high school.  Since then he has enjoyed treating himself to new racquets as they have advanced with new technology.
    • Tennis Achievements:
      • Played tennis in the past 7 CT Senior Games in Mixed Double and Men’s Singles

      • Plan to play tennis in the 2013 CT Masters’ games in Mixed Doubles and Men’s Singles

      • Played tennis in 5 of the last 6 National Senior Games
        With Margot, won the Bronze Medal in Mixed Doubles in Palo Alto and the 4th Place Ribbon in Mixed Doubles in Houston

      • Member of the USTA

  • Margot Turk is involved in many aspects of the game of tennis.  She is a recreational player, a competitive tennis player, a tennis organizer and mentor and an avid tennis spectator.She hit her first tennis ball while in high school on the one concrete court in her small home town of Port Allen, LA.  After graduation she attended LSU and earned a degree in Education and became a teacher.  While in college she took tennis physical education courses which not only improved her game but also gave her a foundation in teaching the sport.  This led to a summer job as tennis counselor at Camp Quonset on Cape Cod and the start of her love of the game that has lasted over her entire adult life and is still going strong at age 75.

    • Tennis Achievements:

      • Starting in 2000 she has participated in past 7 consecutive Connecticut Senior Games in both Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles tennis.

      • At each of the games she has won either the gold or silver medal with her partners in each of these events in her age group.

      • Margot has participated in 5 of the last 6 National Senior Games

      • 2005 Pittsburg-Won the Silver Medal in Ladies Doubles (65-69).

      • 2009 Palo Alto-Won the Bronze Medal in Mixed Doubles (70-74).

      • 2011 Houston-Won the Gold Medal in Ladies Doubles (70-74) and the 4th place ribbon in Mixed Doubles (70-74).

2012 Winners:

  • Elizabeth McCracken runs a local fitness business appropriately called, ‘I CAN’ where she works with many older citizens with interests in getting them into good physical and mental shape.  Bobette’s remarkable tennis, athletic and leadership career was almost interrupted in April of 2011 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Without hesitation, she had a lumpectomy and received radiation and arrived in Houston in June ready to play tennis in the National Senior Games.  In 2012, Bobette competed in the 75-79 age division at the Connecticut Senior Games in both singles and doubles.  The 2012 “Games” was her 8th year participating in our Tennis Tournament.
     
  • Ernie Uthgenannt is a noted tennis player, instructor and advocate.  He has been playing tennis for 58 years and teaching tennis for 54 years.  Ernie first participated in the Connecticut Senior Games in 1992, winning gold medals virtually every year since then in both basketball and tennis.  He has been ranked in New England’s top tennis players for both singles and doubles several times, including being ranked #1 in New England 50+ singles and doubles, #1 in Father and Son 60+ doubles and #1 in 70+ singles and doubles.   He has also been ranked nationally, as he has competed in multiple National Senior Games; placing 4th in the Men’s 65 doubles in 2009.  Not only is Ernie an established player, but he has been a distinguished tennis teacher for many years.  He taught tennis for the town of Ellington in the '70s and '80s and has a court at his home where he hosts countless students and recreational players every year.  Ernie also served as linesman for the Aetna World Cup.   Ernie competed in both tennis and basketball at the 2012Connecticut Senior Games.

2011 WINNERS:

  • Carolyn Vanacore: She currently promotes living a healthy lifestyle to her students at Southern Connecticut State University. Carolyn also mentors young females in both athletics and life.  She has attended 11 National Senior Games and has been playing tennis since the late 1980’s.
     
  • Phil Rockwell: A tremendous athlete, Phil has been very active in senior tennis and a variety of community affairs.  He has won numerous championships and represented Connecticut in various tennis competitions nationwide.  Phil has also developed many charity events that collected over $150,000.

 

ELIGIBILITY:
In order to be considered for the Richard P. Garmany Tennis and Leadership Award one female and one
male must be nominated and meet the following criteria.

CRITERIA:

1. Participation in the 2013 State Masters’ Games Tennis Tournament

  • Overall athletic participation and achievement in tennis

2. Outstanding dedication to the tennis community

  • Provides positive leadership to other players and enthusiasts
  • Exemplifies sportsmanship through fair play and respect
  • Dedicated to tennis education and community outreach

3. Leadership component

  • Is a source of inspiration and encouragement to others to become active and assume effective leadership roles in the tennis community
  • Displays good attitude and effort that reflect onto other players

4. Also, please explain the following about the nominee

  • Athlete’s motivation/reason for being involved in tennis and athletics
  • Special attributes or circumstances within the sport/community
  • Why he or she represents the spirit of amateur athletics and the State Senior Games movement

SELECTION PROCESS
Prospective winners are nominated for the Richard P. Garmany Award. The nominees are selected and
determined depending on their meeting of the above criteria. The results are based on a weighted average.

PRESENTED AT:
The conclusion of the 2016 Connecticut Masters’ Games Tennis Tournament
New Britain High School, New Britain, CT

TIMETABLE:
February:
Solicitations sent out to Tennis Participants
Friday, April 29th: Application Deadline
Early May: Nominations due to Awards Committee
Mid May: Recipient selected
Presentation of the award at the start of the CT Masters’ Games Tennis Tournament

CONTACT

Ryan West

Director of Operations

Carolyn Vanacore
CT Masters’ Games Tennis Coordinator
CT Sports Management Group, Inc. CSMG Board of Directors

*The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region, dedicated to improving the quality of life for area residents.  The Hartford Foundation receives gifts from thousands of generous individuals and families and in 2011 awarded grants of more than $28 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Hartford Foundation, and its strategic plan, Accelerate Success, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.

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