An Introduction to Platform Tennis

Jerry Cain leverages his extensive experience in raising capital for various firms in the US and abroad for more than 10 years in performing his responsibilities as a managing director of Slate Asset Management. He is responsible for raising capital for the firm’s private equity funds. When away from work, Jerry Cain engages in various sports. He is fond of playing golf, tennis, and platform tennis.

Platform tennis is an outdoor racquet sport similar to tennis that is generally played during cold weather. James Cogswell and Fessenden Blanchard invented it in 1928 in Scarsdale, New York. In wintertime that year, the duo was searching for a racquet sport they could play close to their home. They built a wooden court above the ground to do away with the snow. They used wooden paddles and spongy balls as equipment.

Later on, picking dead balls from the snowy bank became a tiresome part of the game, so they decided to put up a fence around the court using chicken wire. From this earliest concept, platform tennis was developed. Today, heating and lighting equipment are placed under the platform. Hence, the game is now played at any time throughout the year.

Compared with tennis which can be played in singles or doubles, platform tennis is an exclusively doubles game. The team that wins two sets out of three wins the game. Winning a game requires a pair to exhibit cooperation, communication, and understanding of the game.

The American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) is the governing body. APTA is a non-profit organization with over 29,000 members and 275 accredited facilities in 41 states and two countries.