The Polish Tennis Association of Southern CaliforniaPolish sport and social activity
by Pawel Kalinowski
The Polish Tennis Association of Southern California (PTA) was created in 1988 by a few aficionados of tennis from both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The founders were: Bartek Chmielewski, Zygmunt Jelinski, Marek Lubas, Wojtek Pietrowski and Marek Zdrojewski. These "founding fathers" represented different generations of Polish immigration, bonded by a common passion - a love for tennis. The PTA came into being after the organizers established the by-laws and started recruiting membership. There were 16 original members in 1988, as compared to over a hundred currently.
The organization was born out of many loosely connected activities. In 1985 the first Polish tennis tournament in Southern California was played in Laguna Niguel. It was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Gustaw Kol, who had died suddenly several months before. Dr. Kol was a great tennis enthusiast and a friend of the very good player and coach, Wojtek Pietrowski. Wojtek turned out to be the engine of the PTA. He was the association president for many years and an organizer of many events.
The annual tournament, the Fibak Cup (named in honor of the Polish tennis legend, Wojtek Fibak), quickly became a hit among tennis-playing Poles. Played in the autumn, it boasts such exciting prizes as a trip to Poland which is awarded to the winner of a drawing held among all the participants. The ticket is furnished by the Polish airlines LOT. The Fibak Cup has now been presented ten times (originally it was played more than once a year). This year also marked the emergence of the new annual event, the Consul's Cup, funded by the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles.
The club keeps the members busy with other events, such as the Slow Tournament played from March until May, the Master's Tourney and matches between Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The venue is normally in Long Beach which offers good facilities and easy access.
There is continuing competition among the members on the so-called Challenge List which is a monthly updated ranking of the players tabulated by Mr. Janusz Ozog and his faithful computer. Last year alone nearly 1,000 matches were played. There are also many social events organized by the club: periodic picnics and an annual New Year's Ball which is highlighted by the awarding of prizes for winners of the challenge competition.
The PTA prints a monthly newsletter, Tennis News, published by Mr. Jurek Gorecki. The newsletter contains all the recent scores, Challenge List rankings and announcements. Members are encouraged to submit short sketches of their own backgrounds and interests which are featured in the "Zoom In" through the volunteer efforts of board members who are elected annually. The PTA funds come from membership fees as well as from contributions of various generous individuals and institutions such as the Polish Consulate, the Polish airline LOT, the Polish Amercan Congress and POLAM Federal Credit Union. The association has a very close working relationship with the local paper Wiadomosci Piastowskie.
The membership is stiII growing. Every year brings new and exciting events that enrich the social and sport calendars of the PTA members. Anyone wishing to participate in any of these events, should write to:
PTA, P.O. Box 4195, Irvine, California 92716-4195 or call our president Staszek Bochenski at 714/857-2200.
From: Polish Americans in California, vol. II. National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs & Polish American Historical Association. California 1995.