NATIONALS 2003
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The President’s Cup was established in 1978 in order to create a national competition for amateur paddlers. Platform tennis had begun to be increasingly professionalized, especially in the East, and good regional players were losing interest in this type of competition. Increasingly, separate regional tournaments were held for these non-professionals (defined as not nationally ranked.) Each Region held its own qualifying tournament to determine which four teams from its Region would be sent to the President’s Cup.

Initially four Regions competed:
Region I: Downstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut (Fairfield County)
Region II: Massachusetts through Maine, Connecticut
Region III: Pennsylvania and Southeastern states
Region IV: Mid-United States and Pittsburgh

They participated in a “round robin” tournament with the #1 team from each Region playing its counterparts from the other Regions. The #2, #3, and #4 teams had comparable “round robins” and the Region which scored the most victories received the sterling silver President’s Cup.

From 1978 to 1981, this competition remained a two-day event. In 1979, players from the West Coast, Region V joined the competition.

In 1982, the format of the President’s Cup changed, when it became a one-day tournament immediately preceding the National Championships. The top regional players could travel in for the Cup, then enter the Nationals. At the same time, the APTA abolished distinctions between amateurs and pros, allowing each Region to select its strongest teams for the Cup.

The Women’s President’s Cup was established in 1983, with three regional teams competing.

In 1984, a sixth Region was established – Region IV (upstate New York and Canada.) To accommodate players from the six Regions without exhausting them the day before the Nationals, a modified scoring system was devised.