Kathie Marshall
Coyotes and Roadrunners were spotted at the SaddleBrooke Ranch tennis courts recently, but they were not the wild animals so often seen wandering in our neighborhoods. Instead, they were tennis club members who joined the Coyote and Roadrunner teams to wage friendly battle during the SaddleBrooke Ranch Tennis Association (SBRTA) 10th Anniversary Steiness Tennis Festival held on Nov. 11 through 16 on SaddleBrooke Ranch’s six tennis courts. The Steiness Festival is always the highlight of the SBRTA event program. However, this year’s festival was special because 2024 marked its 10th anniversary. The annual festival is named in honor of the late Helge Steiness, the club’s founder and first president. The event features an action-packed week of tennis and POP tennis play, concluding with a dinner/dance in the Sol Ballroom. This year’s event had 65 participants, with the tournament competition divided into two teams—The Coyotes and The Roadrunners. Team Captains were Sue Cook and John David (Coyotes) Stacy West and Rob Smith (Roadrunners).
The event kicked off Nov. 11 with an introductory song and dance from each team, an exhibition match (featuring tennis pro Chris Madsen and fellow players), followed by a members’ happy hour reception. Match play began Nov. 12 and ran through Nov. 14. The competition was divided into morning and afternoon sessions of tennis and POP tennis doubles play. Coyotes and Roadrunners doubles teams competed against each other daily with scores tallied and recorded at the end of each day. However, according to SBRTA member Georgine Hurst, “Win or lose, the tennis competition was all in fun and at the end of the day, everyone had a wonderful time!”
The event culminated with the 2024 Tennis Ball dinner and dance on Nov. 16. Members enjoyed a delicious dinner and great service provided by the Ranch House Grill banquet services staff. Mark Adamson, the SBRTA president, announced the team winner, and the victors were The Roadrunners! He thanked the event coordinators, Debbie Argabright and Jill Stark, for the job well done. Special mention was given to committee chairs and the numerous volunteers and participants who made the event a tremendous success.
A special thank you to the Steiness Festival sponsors:
Platinum Level
* Coldwell Banker Real Estate
* Ralph’s Moving
* Dr. Kim Tucker
* Chiropractic USA
* State Farm Insurance
Gold Sponsors
* Blease Financial Services
* First Inspection Services
* Golf Carts of Arizona
Silver Sponsors
* X-pert Automotive
* Sonoran Dreams Landscaping
* Cleere Law Offices
For players and spectators alike, the 10th Anniversary Steiness Tennis Festival was an event to remember!