Valerie Simon returns a shot during the Serve for Strength tournament at Saddlebrook on Apr. 19.ย
Anyone who was ever an athlete whose career โ whether you had any chance of turning pro or going to the Olympics โ was cut short by injury can certainly relate to the story of Wesley Chapel resident Valerie Simon.
Once the top-rated girls tennis player in Florida, who was training at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy at Saddlebrook Resort, and one of the top handful in the entire country, Valerie, who is now 18, tripped on a tennis ball in 2023 and the injury she suffered, according to her mother Daniella, โwas misdiagnosed as not being a fracture.โ
As the pain of the injury continued to get worse, rather than improve, Valerie ended up at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, where titanium rods were surgically implanted to repair her broken navicular bone.
Following the recommended healing time, Valerie entered and won the Dasani Georgia Mayorโs Cup Junior โSuper Championship,โ but after receiving the trophy, Valerie insisted โMy other foot is broken.โ Because she had put so much pressure on her non-surgical foot during the tournament, Daniella says, โshe now had a broken navicular bone in her other foot. Her career was over at barely 16 years old. She tried many time to go back to tennis,โ but couldnโt because of the โloadingโ you have to do to hit those power shots.
Making Lemonade
(l.-r.) Victoria, Valerie, Vanessa, Daniella, Jonathan and Zachary Simon.
After seeing how expensive her medical bills were, Daniella says, โShe made lemonade from lemons and turned pain into purpose,โ by starting โServe for Strength,โ a 501(c)(3) nonprofit โsupporting individuals and families facing life-changing health challenges…Through community-driven events, we raise funds for organizations that provide care and relief to those in need.
Because of the amazing surgeries she received at HSS, Daniella says the new organizations first three fund raisers were held in New York to benefit the Foot & Ankle Dept. at HSS.
โI felt very alone after my injuries,โ Valerie says. โI didnโt want anyone else to feel alone.โ
Valerie signed with the Professional Pickleball Association in Jan., so Daniella decided to host Serve for Strengthโs most recent fund raiser on Apr. 19, on the new eight-court pickleball complex at Saddlebrook, where the entire family โ twin sisters Vanessa and Victoria, 16, her father Jonathan and 13-year-old brother Zachary, as well as Daniella, all played or helped run the event.ย
โWe had about 170 people enter the tournament, where we had multiple menโs and womenโs divisions โ a total of 12 age brackets. We brought together people of all ages, from teens to people in their 80s. Some had only four teams, others had as many as twelve. Several of the players had taken clinics with our girls and were playing competitively for the first time ever. We even had a โMeet a Partner, Make a Friendโ event after the tournament ended because we had to shut down the entries.โ
So, how did the tournament do?
โWe ended up raising about $3,500 to help fund the Foundationโs future events,โ Daniella says, because everything we want to do costs money.โ
Thanking The Sponsors
Daniella says that without the help of the major sponsors, especially Saddlebrook, โWe could never have put on an event like this. They were wonderful. [Saddlebrook general manager] Jeff Mayers donated the courts and hospitality tents, plus waters for all players, ice, orange juice and fresh fruit. They also provided T-shirts for every player. Serve for Strength split the cost of the shirts.โ Other sponsors included Century 21 Molly Nye, Josรฉ Pomoles from State Farm, and Farina Orthodontics. โYes! Apples is a year-round sponsor, too,โ Daniella says.
Up next for Serve for Strength is an entire weekend at Saddlebrook โ Saturday & Sunday, June 6-7.
โSaturday will be another pickleball event and Sunday will be a โSwing for Strengthโ golf tournament,โ she says. โWeโre just really trying to get the word out that we are here to help.โ
For more information about Serve for Strength or to enter either event in June, visit ServeforStrength.org.
PTR & PPRโs 23,000+ Professional Coaching Members In 127 Countries Now Call Saddlebrook Resort Home!
(Above, l.-r.) Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) & Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) CEO Peter Hurley,PTR Board Chair Lynne Rolley, Saddlebrook VP of International Sports Patrick Farrell, PTR Vice-ChairMartin van Daalen, Floridaโs Sports Coast Marketing & Comm. Dir. Raul Nardi, PTR COO Brian Parkkonen& USTA Senior Dir. Craig Jones cut the ribbon at Saddlebrook Resort.
Why is it such a big deal that Saddlebrook Resort is now the new home of both the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR)?
Well, for one thing, the 125-year-old PTR has moved its headquarters for the first time in 40 years, from Hilton Head, South Carolina, according to PTR Board Chair Lynne Rolley, who opened the festivities at the Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting event for PTR and PPR at Saddlebrook on Sept. 24. โWe made this significant move to relocate here to Saddlebrook Resort and we are just so excited,โ Rolley said. โToday marks the beginning of an incredible journey for us. Saddlebrook has always been a leader in the tennis community.โ
She noted that Saddlebrook has, โtrained so many Grand Slam champions, including Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, John Isner, Marty Fish, Lisa Raymond, Martina Hingis, Mary Pierce, Justine Henin and about 20 more. Some of our great coaches from Saddlebrook, sitting right here, have been responsible for that success.โ
Rolley also said this about Saddlebrook: โThis state-of-the-art facility will become a hub for developing coaches, empowering athletes and fostering a community thatโs passionate about the growth of tennis and pickleball.โ
Of course, those who have been responsible for PTR and its now 23,000 members under one umbrella (including 10,000 PPR members) in 127 countries have always been passionate about tennis and, for the last six years, pickleball.
Accredited by the United State Tennis Association (USTA), PTR offers globally-recognized certifications for tennis instructors and is the largest membership organization in the world for certifying tennis coaches.
And, with pickleball, still acknowledged as the fastest-growing sport in the country, PPR, which was founded in 2018, has grown exponentially and has been a big contributor to the 20% growth of PTRโs overall membership from 19,000 in a little more than a year.
โWho knows,โ Rolley said, โWe may soon train a Grand Slam champion in pickleball here.โ
Rolley then introduced PTR Vice-Chair Martin van Daalen and called up PTR and PPR CEO (and new Wesley Chapel resident) Peter Hurley to the microphone.
Hurley first thanked Rolley and said that her hard work also has helped Saddlebrook groom many of its long list of professional tennis champions and, โalong with Martin, helped bring PTR and PPR here to Wesley Chapel.โ
Saddlebrook VP Of Intl. Sports Patrick Farrell
Hurley joked that the day of the Grand Opening, โmarks my seventh day on the job as CEO of PTR and PPR, although I feel as though Iโve been here for a lifetime.โ
He added, โThis is a monumental day for our organization. I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our passionate members and to our โpicklers,โ who are out here enjoying the day with Sarah (Ansboury, the managing director of PPR and a five-time U.S. Open Pickleball champion), our dedicated staff and Board of Directors and the entire Saddlebrook community for the warm welcome you have given us. We look forward to engaging members, developing content, education and curriculums and events that will drive visitors to the Saddlebrook area.โ
Hurley then introduced Patrick Farrell, the VP of International Sports at Saddlebrook. โPatrick has an amazing team here,โ Hurley said. โHe also oversees the operation of the Saddlebrook Preparatory School, one of the most prestigious golf and tennis academies in the world. Pat has held many key leadership positions at top resorts across America, but most important to me is that heโs also a great guy, a class act and a phenomenal partner.โ
Farrell welcomed everyone to Saddlebrook and thanked both the ownership group of the resort (Mast Capital) and Floridaโs Sports Coast (Pascoโs destination management organization), โbecause without them, this really couldnโt have transpired.
Their support and what they do to bring sports tourism to Pasco County is unsurpassed in this industry. The work that they do helps support the tourism business here. The impacts for not just racquet sports but the hospitality business in this area and the impacts for the community are immense.โ
He also noted that, โThanks to Floridaโs Sports Coast, we have people moving into the area to be team members of PPR and PTR, plus all of their events and programming throughout the year. So, itโs extremely exciting to have them as a partner for the long term. They are helping to take Saddlebrook to new heights and restoring it to its past grandeur. Our entire staff is extremely excited to partner with PTR and PPR and look forward to a great future.โ
Next up was Raul Nardi, the marketing & communications director for Floridaโs Sports Coast., who said how excited the countyโs tourism office was to have PTR and PPR moving to Saddlebrook. โWe know this move will have a profound impact on our tourism,โ Nardi said, โand Saddlebrook is renowned for its beautiful amenities and world-class tennis facilities. And, with the addition of PTR and PPR, we can expect an influx of visitors, coaches and sports enthusiasts to the region. These guests will not only fill our hotel rooms, but also dine at our restaurants, shop at our stores and visit our multiple attractions that our beautiful county has to offer.โ
Nardi added that Pasco County officials also are excited about the, โeconomic impact that all of these visitors and different events, tournaments and championships that are coming into our county [will bring]. Itโs going to create jobs, drive revenues, encourage investment in the area and we expect it to have a ripple effect and bring still more visitors to our area. Weโre just thrilled to see this flourish and come to fruition.โ
Then, Hurley introduced USTA senior director of coaching Craig Jones, noting that โThe USTA is a vital partner to PTR and PPR. Craig is responsible for developing coaching resources, workshops and accreditation. He is a certified PTR Professional and a USTA high-performance coach.
Prior to coming to USTA, Craig spent 25 years as a club owner, a director and a junior developer working with young players from novice through international champion.โ
Jones said, โWe want to welcome PTR to the great tennis state of Florida.โ He mentioned that the USTAโs own National Campus is located in Orlando, โSo, how great is it to have these two amazing facilities within 80 miles of each other? The USTA also is looking forward to more collaboration with PTR in the future.โ
Hurley, van Daalen,Rolley, Farrell, Jones & Parkkonen celebrate PTR & PPRโs new home at Saddlebrook with a champagne toast.
Hurley also thanked Brian Parkkonen, the Chief Operating Officer of PTR. โBrian has been juggling multiple responsibilities to facilitate our move from Hilton Head while also helping me get up to speed in the last seven days.โ
He also mentioned that Parkkonen has more than ten years of service to PTR. โBrian has played a pivotal role in advancing education pathways and developing innovative programs, including the PTR education dashboard and advancing the PPR pickle- ball certification curriculum.โ
Parkkonen then said, โYouโve heard about all of the exciting things that are going to happen with PTR and PPRโs headquarters being relocated here to the beautiful Saddlebrook Resort. Weโre excited about the impact that these organizations are going to have on Saddlebrook, as well as Pasco County. The question becomes now, โHow do we deliver this exceptional service?โ It gives me great pride and honor to introduce the staff thatโs going to be driving our initiatives here at Saddlebrook. As many of you know, putting together an exceptional team is not an easy task.โ
He noted that it takes time, โto identify those who have the right skill sets, that have a passion for their sports โ whether that be tennis, pickleball, padel, platform tennis, etc. โ that have a generational perspective, in that we have individuals from multiple generations, all with the same goal of really providing an exceptional experience for our members.โ
Parkkonen also quoted former NBA coach Phil Jackson, who said, โThe strength of a team are the individual members of the team. The strength of the individual members is the team. And I think that what weโve had the opportunity to put together at PTR and PPR is truly an exceptional team.โ
He added that โNot only are PTR and PPR bringing a successful business to Saddlebrook.
Weโre bringing exceptional individuals who will be contributors to the community. And, I donโt think most staffs have over 125 years of experience on their team, but we do.โ
Parkkonen then introduced both the team relocating to Saddlebrook โand those who will be working remotely as well โ (PPR managing director) Sarah Ansboury, (VP of special events & pickle-ball) Julie Jilly, (international director) Inaki Balzoa, Michael Baumgarten and (event coordinator) Dimitri Vlassov).โ The remote folks Parkkonen thanked included (PTR membership director) Helma Capp, (PTR marketing manager) Caitlyn Fries, (PTR director of education and diversity) Milena Vidos, (PTR membership coordinator Sanaz Marand, (PPR membership services) Melanie Beckler. Then, there was a champagne toast to end the festivities.
The staff of the Spinner Law Firm at the firmโs 20th anniversary party on Oct. 5.ย (All photos by Charmaine George)ย
As the owner of a hyperlocal business that will celebrate its 30th anniversary in February of next year, I have seen a lot of businesses come and go over the years and celebrated many anniversaries with dozens of those businesses.
One of the companies I feel particularly close to is the Spinner Law Firm, headed by Charles S. (โCharlieโ) Spinner, Esq., which celebrated its 20th anniversary of serving the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities on Oct. 5.ย
North Tampa Bay Chamber president Hope Kennedy presents a Chamber Proclamation to Charlie Spinner.ย
In addition to a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting, the event included a proclamation given to Spinner by Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy, a short video created by Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel president (and local videographer) David Alvarez, a red carpet for Charlie and his staff, an appearance by a Pasco County Sheriffโs Office K9 therapy dog, free drinks and a huge cruditรฉ table…and something that hit a lot closer to home for yours truly.
Charlie talked about meeting his first employee, office administrator Vicki Portfolio, when both were walking their dogs in a park in early 2003. Vicki was in charge of the โBeer Schoolโ at the Busch Gardens Hospitality House at the time. Charlie was working for an insurance defense firm in downtown Tampa and told Vicki he was considering branching out on his own one day. Vicki told him that when he did start his own firm, โI want you to hire me as your legal assistant.โ
โOK, what are your qualifications?,โ Charlie replied.
โI donโt have any. I teach Beer School.โ
Attorney Charles Spinner and his firmโs first employee, Vicki Portfolio.ย
But, when Charlie did start his firm in New Tampa, where he lived with his then-wife-to-be Carrie, he immediately took out his first ad in the Neighborhood News and, โThe first call I got from that ad was from Vicki, asking me โWhen do I start?โ The rest is history.โย
Jannah and I were among at least 100 people in attendance at the 20th anniversary event, so I got to hear that story, for the first time, in person, and I acknowledged that not only had Charlie been advertising continuously with us ever since, he definitely โhelped send (my) kids to college,โ as he quipped during his short speech.
Charlie thanked every member of his now-much-larger staff, as well as Carrie and the coupleโs five kids, the Chamber and the local community.
Hope said that the Chamber was on hand when Charlie cut the ribbon at his new Wesley Chapel office five years ago, but noted that, โWe wanted to do something better, something more deserving, to celebrate your 20 years of service to the community.โ
The proclamation read that โThrough the years, Spinner Law Firm has beenย committed to unwavering dedication and perseverance, making it a true pillar of our community…We commend Spinner Law Firm for this outstanding achievement, exceptional leadership and continuous growth.โย
Charlie Spinner with his wife Carrie and three of the coupleโs five children.ย More than 100 people attended the Spinner Law Firmโs 20th anniversary event.ย
Spinner then thanked every member of his outstanding staff, including community outreach director Jennie Yingling, who organized the event. He went on to thank Carrie and all of his children before watching Alvarezโs video on one of fellow Rotarian Troy Stevensonโs mobile billboard trucks.
โWhen I created Spinner Law Firm, I wanted to make a real connection with my clients, and with the community,โ Charlie said during the video. That was followed by a number of clients and organizations who said the firm had helped them, all giving testimonials, including coaches from both Wiregrass Ranch and Cypress Creek high schools and Lisa Michaelangelo from the Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center, all of whom thanked Charlie and his firm for helping them.
Pickleball Tournament
Eight days after the 20th anniversary party, the Spinner Law Firm hosted the Spinner 20th Anniversary Pickleball Tournament at the Land OโLakes Recreation Center.
Although I wasnโt in attendance at the tournament, and had not yet received a recap of who played and won the various awards, I do know that Charlie and his brother John, as well as Spinner Law Firm attorney Patrick Barnes all played in the tournament and, according to our photographer Charmaine George, a great time was clearly had by all.
The Spinner Law Firm, located at 2418 Cypress Glen Dr., in the Cypress Glen Professional Park, specializes in family estate planning and personal injury law. For more information, call (813) 991-5115, visit SpinnerLawFirm.com.
The Spinner Law Firm group at the 20th Anniversary Pickleball Tournament on Oct. 13. Spinner Law Firm attorneys Charlie Spinner and Patrick Barnes played each other during the tournament.ย
