My name is Fred Veenstra, and Johnny has graciously agreed to allow me to continue the KKT tradition while he heads off on his sabbatical. I appreciate his trust.
Johnny, I sincerely appreciate your friendship and the opportunity to carry on the King Kong Tournaments. Three years ago, you came up with an idea and turned it into something that has become a first-class event here in The Villages. That is impressive!!
You are special and loved by everyone!! And we all know Johnny is an icon. And if you somehow haven’t figured that out yet, I’m sure there are at least 47 people nearby who would be happy to fill you in.
The Facebook page will remain the same, as kingkongtournaments.com. The YouTube channel, however, will be joining Johnny on sabbatical. I’ll do my best to keep the light on for you.
Moving forward there will be a few changes:
Pictures will be minimal. We’ll take a group picture before the tournament while everyone is still smiling, optimistic, and speaking to their partner. We’ll also take pictures of the medalists afterward.
Livestreaming and videos will be discontinued, unless someone steps up to take the reins to do it. The good news is that today’s phones take incredible pictures and videos. There are also plenty of inexpensive phone holders available if you want to record your match, study your technique, critique your partner, dispute a line call from three hours earlier, or prove once and for all that the ball was definitely IN.
The playoffs will feature a single-elimination format! 1 seed vs. 8 seed, and so on. Simple. Win and advance. Lose and immediately begin explaining how you would have won if not for the wind, the sun, the net cord, your partner, the ball, your knee, or that one questionable line call in Game 2.
Because we have two different ratings systems in The Villages, your highest rating will be used. The goal is to make each tournament as competitive as possible while still having a blast on the court.
With all that being said, I sincerely hope you’ll consider coming out and playing in a tournament — or two, or three. Yes, we’re competitive. Yes, we want to win. Yes, somebody will probably question a line call. But at the end of the day, Johnny says it best: “It’s about the people.” That is the tradition I want to continue.
So grab your paddle, find a partner, stretch whatever needs stretching, take a couple Advil if necessary, and come have fun. See you on the courts.
I do want to recognize my daughter Sarah, who took on this project with the website. It’s who you know, eh? Thanks, Johnny, for walking alongside her.
Fred “freddyv” Veenstra
freddyv@kingkongtournaments.com
October Tournaments:
10/4 — Men’s 4.5+
10/11 — Women’s 4.0–4.5
10/18 — Mixed Dubs 4.0–4.5
10/25 — Halloween Fund Raiser