USTA Texas Junior Team Tennis is hosting the Fall 2014 JTT Section Championships based at the Rose Park Tennis Center starting Friday, Nov. 14 -15, 2014. Over 1,000 players and fans will pour into Abilene resulting in an economic impact of $220,000 during their stay.
“We are thrilled to host such a talented group of athletes from all over the great state of Texas and their families,” Debi Schultz, Director of Sales for the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau said. “The positive effect this group will have on Abilene’s economy is worth the work put into servicing these large scale events. We are thankful for Abilene Tennis Association Junior Tennis Coordinator Julie Beckham and active members like Beverly Guthrie who put in a great amount of time and effort making this a hugely successful event.”
82 teams with 475 players from across Texas are competing at 10 different sites in the city with Rose Park serving as the tournament headquarters.
The other sites around Abilene include Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, Abilene High School, Cooper High, Wylie High, Madison Middle, Clack Middle, Abilene Country Club and Fairway Oaks Country Club.
Teams from the 12 and Under (Intermediate and Advanced), 14 and Under (Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced) and 18 and Under (Intermediate and Advanced) divisions will all be competing in this statewide event. All age divisions will be competing in a round robin bracket format to demine the champions.
USTA Texas is piloting a new division, 10 and Under Intermediate Green Dot Ball with nine teams competing this year. The Green Dot balls are lower compression balls for a softer and lower bounce than regular tennis balls. This is part of the United States Tennis Association’s national 10 and Under tennis program play format using modified balls and racquets that are right size (length, weight and grip) that fit smaller hands.
“This added division is meant to be competitive, but more driven towards fun. These kids are young and we need to make sure we keep the sport of tennis fun and attractive to them,” said Sylvia Krywacz, USTA Texas junior team tennis coordinator. “We have a goal of keeping this division for 2015.”
The game has never been more fun for children of all skill levels between the ages of 5 and 18. Even kids playing 10 and Under Tennis can play, featuring leagues with smaller courts, shorter and lighter racquets, and lower-bouncing, slower-moving balls.
Established in 1991, USTA Junior Team Tennis provides youth with all of the health and social benefits of tennis in a co-ed, fun and competitive team environment, and allows participants to compete with and against individuals of similar skill and age levels. Nationally it brings together nearly 100,000 kids and promotes social skills and important values by fostering a spirit of cooperation and unity, as well as individual self-growth. USTA Junior Team Tennis is also a fun environment for kids to learn that succeeding is really more about how they play the game—win or lose.
USTA Junior Team Tennis connect kids together in teams to play singles, doubles and mixed doubles against other teams within a league. They are immediately placed on teams. All you need to start a league are two teams. Matches can be held anywhere from a local park or school to a commercial or private club. Teams are preferably co-ed but can also be single gender (boys only or girls only). They are divided by age and play levels and culminate annually at the USTA JTT National Championships.
USTA TEXAS: Located in Austin, USTA Texas is a not-for-profit volunteer organization with over 54,000 individual members and 900 organizational members. Since 1895, USTA Texas have been one of the 17 sections of the United States Tennis Association, the governing body of tennis in America. USTA Texas is the third largest of the sections and features a Pathway of tennis programs for beginning, recreational and competitive juniors, adults and seniors. With hundreds of volunteers, USTA Texas is devoted to promoting and developing the growth of tennis in Texas. For more information about USTA Texas go to www.texas.usta.com, “like” the official USTA Texas Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ustatexas or follow us on Twitter @USTATexas.
There are no comments
Please login to post comments