The NorCal Call erroneously reported in its Summer 2002 issue that David MacArthur of San Jose was the first in Northern California to play in leagues using the two-bounce rule. MacArthur, who was paralyzed as a 16-year old, played in a mixed league. Among the sections, Southwest reported that Nanette Oakley played in leagues in 2000, and she was believed to be the first nationwide.

Dianne Johnson (right)of Burlingame was the first wheelchair player to play in USA adult leagues in Northern California. Most likely, based on reports from other sections, she was the first in the nation to play in leagues, although back in1997 Johnson played the one-bounce rule of regular tennis.

Another wheelchair player, Denise Esrey, a Grass Valley lawyer, was the second. She played in 1999, just after the two-bounce rule became effective for wheelchair players when playing in leagues for the able-bodied.

Johnson has had a lengthy and varied association with tennis and her contributions are many. In 1997, she played on a San Carlos 3.0 adult team. Previously, as a USPTA teaching pro, she taught tennis at Burlingame High School, at Stanford University (1995-99) and other venues, as she looked for communities with wheelchair populations. She first took up the game in 1988, having played wheelchair basketball for two years. In her first attempt in the US Open Wheelchair Tournament, she won the D Division. She was ranked among the nation's top ten in her division 1991.

Johnson went on to umpire at tournaments, passing the tests for officials in 1996. But eye problems last year permanently curtailed that activity. Presently, Johnson is coming back from injuries she received after being hit by a car in her chair in Burlingame. She played the Tahoe-Donner event in October and intends to resume tournaments.

Esrey, playing in a chair since 1991, asked for a 3.5 rating at a session at Johnson Ranch in 1999, got it, and joined an able-bodied team. The Grass Valley Union sent a reporter out during one of her matches to do a story for the sports section.

"Do you know what I really learned?" she told the reporter after losing. "Despite my own fears, I know that I can play a singles able-bodied player in my league."

Esrey, who practices Saturdays with a group at American River Community College, competed in the US Open in San Diego this year after completing paperwork for a non-profit CTA. The ten-member Sacramento Capitals Wheelchair Tennis Association has the pro basketball team's endorsement. The CTA expects to reach out to potential wheelchair players.

Captions:
Dianne Johnson was the first chair in adult leagues using the one bounce rule and she taught tennis as well.

Don Johnson's tennis programs may get an additional boost from USTA grants to supplement the $10,000 his San Jose city court site is receiving from the Siebel Open for re-surfacing and renovation. The tournament announced the "give back to the community" largess Oct. 5 for the four courts at Los Paseos Park where Johnson runs low-cost children's programs. NorCal Executive Director Bruce Hunt suggested that both sec-tional and USTA national court assistance grants could supplement the effort by as much as $7,500.

High School coaches alert: NorCal's perennially popular High School Tennis Coaches Workshop will be held February 22 at ClubSport Pleasanton. This is the time to get an earful of expert wisdom that can be taken back to school and put right to use. Registration is 9 a.m. The first guest speaker starts at 10 a.m. The classroom sessions go to noon with a lunch break, followed by 1-4 p.m. on-court sessions. For information call, (530) 893-8782.

Miramonte High School girls' tennis more than matched what its boy's team accomplished earlier in 2002. The girls from Orinda ended the four-year grip that Menlo School (27-5) had on the CIF-USTA Regional Girls' High School championships when the Matadors (30-0) stopped the school from Atherton 4-3 in the finals at Fremont Tennis Center. The Matadors were down 1-3 in matches but came back to win the next three for their first Regional title. Miramonte defeated Archbishop Mitty High School of San Jose 4-3 in the semi-finals. Earlier this year, Miramonte was runner-up in the CIF-USTA Boys' Regional after upsetting three-time defending champion, the Menlo School, in the semis.