Adult Recreation & Competition is responsible for the development and administration of leagues and tournaments.The Utah Tennis Association provides USTA Leagues under the governance of the United States Tennis Association, as well as other local leagues.These leagues are designed to provide the opportunity for year-round competitive tennis in a team format; and are designed to keep players in the game.Leagues provide play for Adult Men and Women (19+ yrs.), Senior Men and Women (50+ yrs.), Super Senior Men & Women (60+ yrs.), as well as Mixed Doubles and World Team Tennis.League play offers skill levels for men women from beginner 2.5 to advanced 5.0 NTRP, as well as leagues which also offer combined NTRP skill levels from 6.0 to 10+.
Winter League- Sponsored by HILLSIDE TIRE & SERVICE, Mike Doolin, Steve Brand
Winter League is the second largest league in participation numbers, and provides tennis during the indoor season. This league offers Weekday play for women and Saturday play for men and working women. All levels of play are offered. The 2009 Winter League had 75 teams and 962 players. No District or Sectional Championships are offered for this league.
USTA Combined NTRP Mixed Doubles League-Spring
This league is held Friday evenings in the spring. 2009 Participation: 27 teams/329 players. This mixed doubles league was extremely popular in 2009, resulting in a 60 percent growth in teams and players. The following teams won their respective flights and advanced to the ITA Sectional Championships in Boulder, CO., July 18-20, 2009:6.0-Coach Mike’s, Javier Pinedo, Capt.; 7.0-Sports Mall-Steve Coleman, Capt. ; 8.0-Eagleridge, Hannah Chung, Capt.; with Sport Mall 7.0-Steve Coleman and Coach Mike’s 9.0-Karen Vardeny, Patrick Sheehan, Capts. advancing to the National Championships as well.
USTA Adult Summer League-Locally Sponsored WOLLAM CONSTRUCTION, Guy & Lana Wollam
The USTA Adult League continues to be the largest and most popular league for men and women 19+ yrs. It is the most competitive of leagues, with the local league winners having the opportunity to advance to the District, Sectional, and National Championships. 2009 Participation: 111 teams/1510 players. Salt Lake City again hosted the ITA Sectional Championships on August 22-24. Monica Haller-Bradley, ITA Director for Adult & Youth Recreation, Lynn Lozano ITA Adult Recreation and Competition Coordinator and Tamela White ITA event coordinator were instrumental in administering the event. Also each District League Coordinator in our Section attended the Sectionals and were responsible for running one of the sites used for the event. Our Umpires Association, Larry Erickson and several members of the Adult Rec Committee as well many other dedicated volunteers, ran an excellent event. Also thanks to those facilities and staff who so graciously hosted play: Sports Mall, Liberty Park, Salt Lake Swimming & Tennis Club, Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy and Eagleridge Tennis & Swim Club. Utah District Teams were very successful at the Sectional Championships advancingteams to the USTA League NationalChampionships! Teams representing Utah at the National Championships include: 2.5W Sports Mall-Sandi Adams, Capt.;2.5M Salt Lake Tennis Club-Anthony Middleton, Capt.; 3.5W Gold’s Gym-Halli Craft, Capt.;3.5M Coach Mikes-Steve Coleman, Capt.; 4.5M Coach Mike’s Porcupines-Milton Talkington, Capt.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE TEAMS THATREPRESENTED UTAH SO WELL AT THE VARIOUS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS! Each team was supported by the Utah Tennis Association and received travel assistance. The funding comes from a portion of Local League and District Championship Revenues.
USTA Senior League
Locally Sponsored by UNIVERSAL BUSINESS INSURANCE, Don Mayer & Don Miller
This league, for players 50+ yrs of age or older, offers NTRP levels from 3.0 to 4.5 for senior men and women. 2009 Participation: 29 teams/298Players. We had six teams who took 1st place in the local Utah District League and advanced to the ITA Sectional Championships in Boise, ID., September 21-23. 3.5W Coach Mike’s-Verna Huiskamp, Capt.;3.5M Sports Mall-Ed Osley, Capt.;4.0W Coach Mike’s-Kathy Aoki, Capt.; 4.0M Liberty Park-Larry Colton, Capt.; 4.5W-Judi West, Capt.; 4.5M Sports Mall-Ernie Smith, Capt.Congratulations to these teams. Utah had no Senior Teams advancing to the National Championships in 2009.
USTA Super Senior League
Locally Sponsored by UNIVERSAL BUSINESS INSURANCE, Don Mayer & Don Miller
2009 marks the fifth year Utah has offered the USTA Super Senior League for men & women age 60 and over. Participation in 2009: 10 teams/100 players.The following teams will be representing Utah at the Intermountain Sectional Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, March19-21, 2010:7.0W Gold’s Gym-Rae Ann Page, Capt.; 7.0M Sports Mall-Ed Osley, Capt; 8.0W Sports Mall-Sharen Smith, Claudia Hammond, Capts.;8.0M Liberty Park, Larry Colton, Capt.
ITA Combined NTRP Mixed Doubles Fall League
This league offered by the Intermountain Section is a combined NTRP Mixed Doubles League, offering play at the 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 NTRP levels. 2009 Participation: 17 teams/204 players. The ITA Sectional Championships were held in Las Vegas, November 6-8, 2009.Utah teams advancing to the Sectional Championships were:6.5 Sports Mall-Chris Andersen, Capt.; 7.5 Sports Mall-Scott Haupt, Capt.; 8.5 Eagleridge-Hannah Chung, Karl Ward, Capts.
Fall Outdoor League, Sponsored by VIKOZ ENTERPRISES, Ed & Vicky Osley
This league, for men and women, is played outdoors in the fall on Saturday’s in the afternoon. Levels of play offered are NTRP 2.5MW to 5.0MW. The 2009 format was 1 singles & 2 doubles. This is a fun recreational league and offers no advancement beyond local play outside our District. 2009 Participation: 649 teams/484 players.
Fall Indoor League, Sponsored by SORENSEN, VANCE & CO., Don Sorensen, Gary Vance
This league offers play for women at the 2.5-5.0 NTRP levels on Weekdays; and for men and women on Saturdays. The 2009 Weekday format was 4 doubles, and the 2009 Saturday format was 3 doubles. 2009 Participation: Weekday League, 47 teams/618 players; Saturday League 27 teams/282 players. No District or Sectional Championships are held for this league.
World Team Tennis—WTT
This is recreational team tennis at its best and is the most fun! The team format consists of 1 set each of men’s & women's’ singles and doubles, and 2 sets of mixed doubles. The Adult Recreation & Competition Committee is dedicated to promote participation and create interest in this FUN league format and hosted a player party, WTT exhibition, Wilson Demo Day at the Sports Mall The event helped to kick off the World Team Tennis League for 2009 with over 80 players attending. Thanks to Larry Erickson Fritz Heinecke and the Ad Rec Committee, Rick Billings who organized the Demo Day.2009 WTT Participation 15 teams/155 players.
New Player Adult 2.5 Incentives
The Intermountain Section and the USPTA partnered to provide funding and incentives to USPTA Pros who fielded new 2.5 teams in the 2009 USTA Adult Summer League. The Utah Tennis Association took it a step further by offering the incentive to Non-USPTA Pros and Captains who fielded new 2.5, 5.0 teams in the USTA Adult League, and who fielded new teams in the USTA Senior and Super Senior Leagues. A total of $2,200 in incentives were paid out, and the return was estimated at $2,700 from new USTA Memberships, new league registration and match fees, which would not have been realized without the initiative.
Captain Zero Default Incentives
In 2009, the Utah District also paid out over $8,000 in incentives to those league captains who had “zero defaults” in the course of their leagues. This incentive has gone a long way in reducing the amount of revenue lost due to match and total team defaults, all the while improving the quality of league play. Our goal is to have zero defaults in all of our leagues and to have “ALL” captains join in this incentive program. The incentive program will be offered again in 2010.
St. George Area Leagues
In 2009 we lost our Area League Coordinator, Diana Madsen due to a job transfer.St. George did field four teams and 37 players in the USTA Adult Summer League, with the 4.5W and 4.0W representing the Southern Utah Region in the Utah District Championships.The Utah Tennis Association is currently in the process of seeking a new Area League Coordinator.
Overall, 2009 showed a growth of five percent in teams and nine percent in players in league participation.
WHEELCHAIR TENNIS
Wheelchair tennis is one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the country. Growth in Wheelchair Tennis in our State was no exception with the number of regular players almost doubling over the last two years.Rules for Wheelchair tennis are the same as able-bodied tennis, except that the chair player is permitted two bounces of the ball.
One Up/One Down League & Wheelchair Tennis Camp
This league was again one of the bright spots in Wheelchair tennis and continued to grow in 2009! The Up Down League was offered in the Spring at Liberty Park and ran for 5 weeks with a season ending player party and tennis social. There were 20 Able-Body and 11 Wheelchair participants.Another Up Down League was offered in the fall at Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy with a total of 16 Able-Body and 12 Wheelchair participants.The league also had a season ending tennis social and player party with the top point getters playing off in the match tiebreaker for 1st and 2nd Place. A very special thanks to Liberty Park and Coach Mike Tennis Academy who served as host sites for the above leagues.
Utah Tennis with a grant from the Intermountain Section also was able to again offer a very successful Wheelchair Tennis Camp hosted at Liberty Park in June. The Camp had 19 participants.A special thanks to Dean Oba who helped coordinate the on court activities and Randy Curry, Dean Oba and Danny Quintana who served as coaches and Liberty Park Tennis Centers teaching staff Lani Wilcox and Teresia Wilker who also were instructors for the Tennis Camp.Also a special thanks to Trish Jensen, Jane Waterstradt and Linda Vincent for helping to organize the camp and the Sandbar who provided lunch for all the participants. And Sue Sandwick a therapist from the Rehab Center who conducted a special off court seminar on strength training and injury prevention.This camp is an annual event and will be held again in 2010 the last weekend in June.
