This league has a Fall/ Winter 10 week season, Winter/Spring 10 week season also a 5 or 6 week summer season. All matches are played on the weekends. One team match on Saturday or Sunday.  Majority of all team matches for indoor season start at 4 PM, 5 PM or 6 PM. However some match start times can vary. A few facilities have 7 PM on Saturday start times. Also 3 PM on Sunday start times, but very few. Outdoor summer season matches start at 9 AM on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Winning teams from all levels of play will advance to the district Championships. If their team should win the district tournament. They would then advance to a sectional Championship. Depending on age level, If their team should win at the sectional level, next they would advance to the USTA JTT National Championships.

ALL BOY League. I also coordinate an all boy league for the overflow of boys to girls ratio in NOVA. The all boy league operates the same as the coed league. Up until now the All boy league has been an unofficial non-advancing league. All boys league winners in the past has only won at the local level. All boys teams did not advance to the championship levels of play. However going forward starting summer 2014, this league has been accepted into an All Boy advancing team pilot program. This is an official USTA JTT pilot program designed for single gender leagues. All Boy teams will now advance to Championships.

 

Here is a little further detail about the 3 seasons. This USTA JTT league has 3 seasons. Fall/Winter, Winter/Spring and Summer. All seasons will have a introductory registration e-blast flyer. Information in the form of a e-blast flyer regarding the league will come out every season at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to the start of the season (Summer e-blast may only be 3 to 4 weeks prior). The flyer has all league information on it, plus a link to click on to the web site for easy registration. The most important information on the flyer is the date, time and the place of the parent, coaches and captains meeting that you should attend. This is were we meet and talk in person. If you have any further questions, etc. etc....  . Please keep an eye out for it. You can see my league rules and more on this website.  Also you can go to www.usta.com and click on to tennislink Junior Team Tennis home page. You can click around and look at the league set up and schedule of the past seasons to get familiar.

Parents may become captains if you would like to and form a team. It is the best way to make sure your child is on a team. Team practices are up to team captains and parents. There are some parent captains that will look for new players. I have some parents who have been participating in this USTA league and will run their own teams. Anyone one is eligible to put a team in the league. Another way to get your child on a team is to join a facility that promotes junior team tennis. During the school year most area tennis clubs form teams and practices for the USTA Junior Team Tennis. You could contact your area club and see if they are putting together teams for the any one of this leagues 3 seasons. Or tell me where you live and I can point you to the closest facility to you that puts teams in the league. You will be able to meet people at the captains meeting. Also when teams sign up I will have a clear idea who needs juniors on their teams. I can try and direct you on who to contact if your child does not have a team by meeting date.

Your child's team would depend on your child's level of play. The 10 advanced level of play is for players at this age who can play full court. The 10's level uses the green dot ball. If however for example if she/he was a very advanced 10 year old that plays full court with real balls, that child would probably play 12 intermediate or 12 advanced level. If your junior was truly a 12U intermediate she/he would play 12 intermediate level and same would be true for all levels of play. There are no beginners on this league. (However I do offer the 12 U greendot ball beginner/intermediate level. This level helps promote match play for a little older junior that may not quite be ready for real ball but would like to compete and improve their skills. Also the greendot 12 will help get the junior ready for the real ball level of play). Intermediate means they have to be able to serve on a full court, rally and keep score. If a child has played in USTA tournaments before and has accumulated 350 tournament points or more they would have to play on the advanced level of play no matter what age category they play in. This is a USTA JTT national rule.

The team environment is great! I couldn't be more pleased with how the league has grown. Our first 2 seasons of 2007-08 we had 300 juniors per season. Our last 2 seasons we had over 400 in Fall/Winter of 2008-09 and over 350 in this Winter/Spring 2009. Summer league is smaller due to all the summer activities of the kids that have played throughout the year. Also family vacations, but we've still had an amazing turn out of over 80 juniors in 2008 and 100 in 2009. For this past Fall/Winter season my expectations were correct. We had over 600 players turnout for the league. This past 2010 Winter/Spring season we had close tot 500 players. Summer 2010 was over 125 players. The most we have ever had for a summer season. In 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 season was no exception. We again had close to 600 players in our indoor leagues. Our most recent season this past Fall/Winter 2013/14 we had over 600 participants.

 

It will be wonderful for your junior/juniors to be a part of this official USTA league! The children learn so much from playing on an organized league. Here are just a few observations I've made over the past years. First and foremost they become better players the more they play. The kids support each other in a team environment. They learn sportsmanship and good court conduct. Juniors learn to have self-confidence which promotes good self esteem, etc. etc... just to name a few. I've witnessed so much more. It has made me proud to be a part of this USTA JTT league.

From the 2007/08 season of play this league completed the District and Sectional Championships. Our junior players played against all other juniors in our District. It took place in Fredericksburg VA. at Mary Washington College. The University had an unbelievably beautiful facility to host the Championships. It was quit exciting. Our league had at least 6 teams advance from Districts to the Sectional level of play. At these Championships one of our teams from Regency sport and health made it through and went onto the National Championships in October.
  
From the 2008/09 season district play had just been completed and teams from NOVA will advance into the Sectional round of Championships. Districts were held in Richmond VA. I could not attend this year but I heard it was held at another wonderful facility. Sectionals were held in College Park Maryland, Aug 8th and 9th. Nationals were held in Mobile Alabama late October 2009.

We had 17 winning teams eligible to enter the District level Championship in 2008, 19 winning teams in 2009 and 20 for 2010. Over half were entered to play and represent NOVA for 3 years in a row. This is an amazing turnout for our first 3 years. During this 4th year we have just certified 7 teams that will be advancing to the district level of play. It is wonderful that we have so many juniors representing our area.

2010 District championships were held at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA July 30-Aug 1. Sectional championships were held Aug 13-15 University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg VA. National Championships for 2010 will be held Oct. 2010, in Surprise Arizona. Winning at the district and sectional level's, Niza Simunyola's 18 Advanced team "The Nets" represented NOVA in Sunrise Arizona this past 2010 season.

2011 District Tournament had multiple teams from our NOVA league participate.

2012 District Tournament again had multiple teams competing from NOVA. Districts were played in Richmond VA this past July 2012.  Out of many NOVA teams that competed so well at the district level of play our NOVA league had 7 teams advance to the 2012 Sectional Tournament. Sectional championships were held at the Tennis Center at College Park Maryland in August 2012. 4 Star Aces from our Winter/Spring season won their division at the Sectional Championships of 2012.

 

2013 Championship District Tournament was held at a wonderful resort at Boar’s Head Sports Club Aug. 2-4, 2013 (Charlottesville). The 2013 Championship Sectional Tournament was held August 16-18 at Green Spring Racquet Club in Lutherville,MD.

 

National Championships in the Fall of:

2013 14U Nationals will be Oct. 18-20 @ Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center (Cayce, SC). 

2013 18U Nationals will be Oct. 25-27 @ Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center (Cayce, SC).

 

2014 Championships will be hosted by:

 

Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club. 2014 USTA MAS Virginia District Jr. Team Tennis Championships, July 25-27.

 

Boar’s Head Sports Club, in Charlottesville. 2014 USTA Mid-Atlantic Sectional Jr. Team Tennis Championships, August 8-10.

 

2014 USTA JTT 14U and 18U National Championships Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center (Cayce, SC).

 

We had multiple teams compete in post season championships as usual. Bell Haven Country Club one of this leagues 14 Intermediate teams advanced all the way to the National level of competition. It was an incredible experience for the whole team, not to mention head coach/captain Mike Smith and team parents.

 

Thank you again for inquiring, please never hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.