Senior/Adult Spotlight: Donna Ringer
Donna Ringer has played the BNP Paribas Senior Cup the last five years, but it wasn’t until this year when she captained her team “Calendar Girls” that the squad came away champions as Ringer’s ladies captured the 65-and-Over 4.0 title at the 23rd annual event.
The popular BNP Senior Cup is run by George Anich and once again this year included more than 100 team and some 800 senior players. Ringer said that the past few years Anich has done a fantastic job putting on the tournament, which includes two tickets to the BNP Paribas Open singles final, a breakfast and an awards banquet held at the Esmeralda Resort.
Donna Ringer captained the Calendar Girls to the BNP Senior Cup Women’s 65 and Over 4.0 team to the championship.
“There are lots of people who come down from the colder climates to enjoy the holiday and the weather,” Ringer said, adding that the shopping in the Coachella Valley is another big attraction. “To schedule all those teams is an amazing feat and George does a great job with the event.”
Ringer said the Calendar Girls originated out of Northern California, and currently include six local ladies from the desert.
Ringer has lived full-time in the desert for more than 15 years after living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She has been USTA League Coordinator since 2004, and said the BNP Senior Cup gave her the break she needed. “From January to the end of March I’m so busy with leagues, so it was nice to actually get out and be a player and not a coordinator.”
Ringer is a USTA umpire and stays busy doing National League Championship matches, as well as last the recent National Men’s 60s event at Mission Hills Country Club.