Betmar man devotes time to teaching

When Ken Stuby and his wife, Connie, were looking for a winter home in the Pasco area, a location with tennis facilities was a requirement.

The couple settled in Betmar, a retirement community in the Zephyrhills area, and Stuby began his search for tennis.

Stuby's interest extends beyond playing, which he began at 8 years old. He also teaches and builds courts at a low cost.

Stuby worked for IBM for 35 years and started recreational programs in New York and Virginia. "I had a summer program (in Virginia) for about 100 players," Stuby said. "We started a ladder, and I became coordinator of the program. I had an associate of Vic Braden come and teach all of us the standardized method of teaching.

"I was so impressed with how much more there was to learning the game. This training really revolutionized our corporate program."

Stuby took early retirement in 1992 at age 58 and started breeding Arabian horses on a farm in Catlett, Va. He soon sold them and built two clay tennis courts -- they cost $1,800 in materials -- using basic farming skills he had learned while growing up.

"The first year the courts were in operation, I was on the courts 12 hours a day because there was a need for teaching at reasonable costs," Stuby said.

He realized the length of his teaching day was more than he desired and needed a break. That's when he decided to find a winter home in Florida.

Many of the players Stuby met in Betmar play at the Zephyr Park courts, and Stuby followed. Soon, he was asked to help teach in the Zephyrhills Tennis Association.

LEAGUE UPDATES: Westin Innisbrook Resort went undefeated in the Super Senior Women's 3.5 Doubles. It beat East Lake Woodlands 3-0 Monday. Winning were Shirl Ahrens and Maureen Sternberg in No.1, captain Phyllis Gary and Diane Galemmo No.2 and Kay Fitzpatrick and Sue Luidens No.3.

Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club's mixed doubles team won its final matches to clinch the 7.5 adult title. A 3-0 win over the Phil Green Tennis Academy was followed by a 2-1 victory over a second Bardmoor team.

Bardmoor joins East Lake's 8.5 adult team in the state tournament in April. Innisbrook's 6.5 senior mixed doubles, Bardmoor's 7.5 and the Phil Green Tennis Academy in the 8.5 also will compete.

In the Super Senior Men's Doubles League, the St. Petersburg Tennis Center beat Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club 3-0 in the 3.5 South division to raise its record to 4-1.

This week, SPTC plays Renaissance Vinoy (0-4), and Bardmoor (3-1) faces Treasure Island (2-3) to close out the season. The South division winner will play the North-division champion PGTA to determine which will advance to the state tournament.

The Senior Men's Doubles League concluded its season when McMullen of Clearwater beat the Vinoy 2-1 in the final 4.0 playoff match. McMullen advances to state in April.

NET SHOTS: Competing in this week's Les Grandes Dames Spring Classic in Winter Park are Allegra Campos, Liz Leigh, Leslie Godwin and Zan Walter. Campos is the No.4 seed in the 40-and-over singles and teams with Orlando's Claudette Laliberte in the 40 doubles. Leigh is in the 50 singles draw, and Walter and Godwin play in 40 doubles.

St. Petersburg's Jackie Keller is entered in the 50 doubles with Leigh, and Joan Malone is entered in the 80 singles and doubles.

In the Suncoast Tennis Foundation Seminole Lakes Rookie grand prix circuit event, singles winners were Kara Kucin (girls 16-and-under), Allison Haberer (girls 10) and Trevor Hubbard (boys 14). Finalists were Jonathan Walters (boys 14) and Samantha Sadler (girls 16). Zach Hotz (boys 12), Keegan Smith (boys 16), Tiffany Easton (girls 12) and Dalila Chiadmi (girls 16) finished first in their consolation draws.

Jim and Clint Bowles won the father-son division in the George Pero Memorial Family Classic held at Cheval Golf and Country Club this month.

COMING UP: Sarmiento's Annual Championships for junior players begins Saturday at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. Call the center, 823-2225, today. ... The Clearwater Spring Classic is March 29-31 at the McMullen Tennis Center. Call 669-1919 to enter the junior singles competition.

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