Tennis Corner

JOYCE ARSENEAU AND SALLY LINDABURY RECEIVING THEIR PRIZE FROM TYLER COOPER, NATHAN SMILEY AND BELLA GRAFF

Welcome back snowbirds! It seems the whole flock of you came back the last weekend in October. It was great to see all the courts busy and everyone having fun.

The Landings once again hosted the Les Petites Tennis Tournament which was scheduled to run Saturday and Sunday, Oct 5th and 6th. Women from all over Lee County were set to face off against each other and have fun at the same time. Hurricane Milton had other ideas but Director of Racquet Sports, Bella Graf, quickly pivoted and changed the games into an “8 game Pro Set” with no ads. This meant that the winning doubles team had to win best of 8 Corner games. The format allowed the tournament to move quickly, and by the end of the day champions were crowned. The Main Draw champions were Barbara Danklefsen and Bernie Wolf from Lexington Country Club. Main Draw finalists were Inge Zimmerman and Suzanne McGauley from The Landings. Joyce Arseneau and Sally Lindabury from Lexington were the Consolation Draw champions.

This month I want to highlight two more of our Racquet Program staff. Pete Della-Luna, our Pickleball Pro, was born in Longmeadow, MA. He started playing tennis at three years old and hasn’t stopped. After playing tennis in high school and college he found Pickleball when a college tennis team friend introduced him to the sport. The friend was playing Pickleball at the US Open in Naples and invited Pete to check it out. And that was that, Pete was hooked! He got certified to teach during Covid and has been a PPR certified Professional Instructor ever since. As well as teaching at the Landings, Pete coaches at a variety of clubs and communities in SWFL. He’s also the Pickleball Head Coach for Lee County Special Olympics. On top of all that he runs Pickleball travel leagues. When not on the courts, Pete enjoys hanging out with his wife Brandie and twins Kaelie and Charlie.

Lainy Picone, Tennis Shop assistant, was born in Cape Coral and has lived her whole life in SWFL. She graduated from South Fort Myers High School where she demonstrated both academic and athletic talent. A dedicated student, she also played tennis with determination and passion. Currently, Lainy is studying at Florida Southwestern State College where she is working diligently to become a dental hygienist. Balancing coursework and hands on experience so that she can excel in the dental field. Her journey from the tennis courts of South Fort Myers High to the healthcare community of Florida shows her commitment and hard work. We are lucky to have this exceptional young lady work in the Landings Tennis Shop.

Remember, always keep your eye on the ball!