Here come the Women! Nov. 16-21, 2009, 32 women tennis players converge at the Kailua Racquet Club to compete in the 10th Annual Island Design Center KRC Women's Night Doubles. WND is the stand alone prize money, professional tennis tournament for women in Hawaii and offers a $2,500 purse. The tourney is poised to grow with time and match if not surpass the prize money of its sibling tourney, the Blue Moon KRC Men's Night Doubles.

Traditionally, the field has been dominated by college women though scholarship college players cannot accept prize money or they give up their college player/amateur status. This year, the dynamic of the tournament expands to include more players, going from an invitation only draw of 8 teams to 16. Included are four teams organized by Hawaiian Isles Tennis. These post graduate and up and comer players represent a sector of women's tennis in Hawaii that was previously under-represented. Their return signals the broadening of the playing field, a realization of talent and a growing community of organized and supported girl and women tennis players.

In addition to many college scholarship players playing for BYU, UH, HPU and Chaminade, and hailing from neighborhoods all over Oahu, Sweden, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and the Peoples Republic of China, Hawaii's #1 ranked singles player, Leilani Magee returns to the tournament at the age of 40 after at least a four year hiatus from the WND. Last time, she placed in the Pro Am. Leilani leads a special group of players from the HIT statewide Women's 5.0+ group. "Na Kohola", The Whales, are a sub-set of the HIT Women's 5.0+ group who train, compete and do community service together including the HIT Play Tennis! statewide program and partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Leilani Magee (Puget Sound grad), Shana Peete (Fresno State grad), Kana Aikawa (UH grad)

HIT Women's 5.0+ group practice

Shana Peete, Leilani Magee after the HNL Masters Women's Open Singles Final

Representing Na Kohola this year at the WND are Leilani Magee and Shana Peete. The two are tennis teaching professionals and career women with college tennis experience. Along with a host of talented volunteer coaches, including Sonnie Koko, Bill Liston, Richard Yaginuma and two international coaches they presented a free and open to the public HIT Play Tennis! Get Your Game On 2 hour workshop at McKinley High School gym on Saturday Nov. 14 as a part of the week long GiRLFeST. The mission of GiRLFeST is the prevention of violence against women and girls through education, art, culture and sport. Other representatives from the HIT 5.0+ group playing in the WND are Audra Takara, recent Chaminade grad and Dragica Joksimovic who played for HPU.

Audra Takara and Leilani Magee partner up

HIT 5.0+ Women (in bold) in the draw:
1. Audra Takara, Leilani Magee
2. Shana Peete, Shawni Porter
3. Dragica Joksimovic, Andrea Munch'Hermansen

Dragica Joksimovic

Scout Shutter

*14 year old Scout Shutter, who began tennis with KRC Men's Night Doubles past repeat champion Wei-Yu Su and now also takes lessons with Leilani Magee is one of the youngest players in the history of KRC WND. She is partnered with Dasha Lagmay, originally of Kauai and playing for UH. The pair is the first alternate team in this year's tourney.

The Kailua Racquet Club is located in the middle of a residential area at 629 Oneawa Street, Kailua.

SCHEDULE

Wed Nov 18 - 5 matches at 6 pm and 3 matches at 7pm
Thurs Nov 19 6pm and 7:15 pm - quarterfinals
Fri Nov 20 6pm and 7:15 pm - Semi Finals
Sat Nov 21 6pm - playoff for 3rd and 4th place
Sat Nov 21 7:15 pm - Championship

The tournament is free and open to the public. In addition to the awesome tennis by the 16 entered teams, there are dinners available for purchase prepared by Master Chef Dave Kaminski, free door prizes distributed, and a silent auction for sponsors. Belly dancing performance on finals night, and free cookies.

Tournament proceeds to SUSAN G. KOMEN for the Cure.
In 1980, Nancy G. Brinker watched helplessly as her sister, Susan G. Komen, died after a 3 year battle with breast cancer. Nancy made a promise to end breast cancer forever. In 1982 that promise launched Susan G. Komen for the Cure which has become the global leader of the breast cancer movement, creating the world's largest grassroots network of cancer survivors and activists, investing hundreds of millions of dollars each year or research, education, screening and treatment. The world's largest source of nonprofit funds for breast cancer. 4,500 lives estimated saved in 2007 alone. See www.komen.org for further information.

The Pink Ribbon Story:
In 1990 the first breast cancer survivor program was launched at the Komen National Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. The survivors wore buttons that were printed in black and white. Later that year, the survivor program developed, and pink was used as the designated color for Komen to promote awaremess and its programs. In 1991 the ribbons were distributed to all survivors and participants of the Komen New York City Race for the Cure. Then in 1992 SELF magazine created a ribbon and enlisted the cosmetic giants to distribute them in New York City stores. And thus, the birth of the pink ribbon!

Sponsor: Roger Dean Gagon and Timothy Bouliane of the ISLAND DESIGN CENTER team are sponsors of the tournament. Roger, whose mother passed away at a young age from breast cancer, supports the event because it focuses awareness on finding a cure. www.islanddesigncenter.com

The Kailua Racquet Club offers 9 tennis courts, a swimming pool and a full calendar of activities for members as well as THE TENNIS HUT, windward Oahu's tennis shop, various events and tennis programs for guests. The club was named 2009 facility of the year by the USTA and the USPTA. www.kailuaracquetclub.com

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 11:31 am and is filed under Event Spot, HIT Line, Play Tennis!, Pro Pic, Tourney Times. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.