Page 2: USTA League. Page 5: Tennis Afterschool Zone / Jr. Team Tennis. Page 6: USTA/PNW Tournament Schedules Jr. Comp Meetings / New Officials School

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1 USTA PACIFIC NORTHWEST E-NEWSLETTER E APRIL 2013 By Matthew Warren Executive Director We received rave reviews on our inaugural edition of Passing Shots. Thank you for your feedback! The United States Tennis Association recently announced a new national branding tagline Find Yourself in the Game. As we enter April and the rain subsides to sunshine, many in the community are planning to get more involved in tennis. This edition will highlight opportunities for you to play tennis, provide feedback on our competitive programs and earn money by growing the game in your community. It is an exciting time for tennis in the Pacific Northwest and I hope that you will follow up on these opportunities and find yourself in the game! Page 2: USTA League Page 5: Tennis Afterschool Zone / Jr. Team Tennis Page 6: USTA/PNW Tournament Schedules Jr. Comp Meetings / New Officials School Page 8: USTA/PNW Member Organization Ads If this issue of Passing Shots was not delivered directly to your box, please click the following link to join our USTA/PNW ing list:

2 JOIN USTA/PNW STAFF AT USTA LEAGUE TOWN HALL MEETINGS New USTA/PNW Section League Coordinator (SLC) Adam Hutchinson and Director of Competition Jim Markin will be traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest to talk USTA Leagues. The town hall meetings will offer an opportunity for you to provide input as the USTA/PNW evaluates all aspects of the USTA League program in All players, captains, coordinators, facility staff, etc., are welcome to attend meetings in the locations listed below. No RSVP is required. April 1-4: Southern Oregon April 9-12: Eastern Washington For updated meeting locations & times info, click here: NORTHWEST WASHINGTON One Doubles: Registration is open. Local league season begins April 26. Contact Coordinator Tom Stingley at for more information. SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON Adult 18 & Over: Local league season starts April 5. Contact Coordinator Kathi McKay at for more information. Adult 40 & Over: Local league playoffs are April Contact Coordinator Vaunn Litchfield at for more information. Adult 65 & Over: Local league season starts April 1. Contact Coordinator Denise Hardcastle at for more information. One Doubles: Registration is open. Local league season begins May 19. Contact Coordinator Kathi McKay at for more information. EASTERN WASHINGTON Adult 65 & Over: Registration is open. Matches are April 5-7 and players must be registered by April 5. Contact Coordinator Lea Hawkins at for more information. One Doubles: Player registration is open. Local league season begins May 6. Contact Coordinator Elece Fiocchi at for more information. NORTHERN OREGON Adult 18 & Over: Local league playoffs are April 4-7 and April Contact Coordinator Jana Hirst at for more information. Adult 40 & Over: Registration is open. Local league season begins April 19. Contact Coordinator Jana Hirst at for more information.

3 NORTHERN OREGON cont. Mixed 40 & Over and Mixed 55 & Over: Information will be posted on the USTA/PNW website as well as sent to all facilities and former Senior Mixed captains sometime in April. Scheduling of regular season matches for the Adult 40 & Over League must be completed prior to that. Contact Coordinator Mike Yee at for more information. One Doubles: Registration opens April 16. Local league season begins May 13. Contact Coordinator Maureen Ellis at for more information. SOUTHERN OREGON Mixed 18 & Over: Registration is open. At least 6 players must be registered by April 8. Local League Season begins April 13. Contact Coordinator Lorrie Brawner at lgbrawner@mac.com. Mixed 40 & Over: Local League Playoffs are April in Corvallis. Contact Coordinator Fred Stewart at fredcstewart@hotmail.com for more information. One Doubles: Registration opens in April. Local League Season begins May 18. Contact Coordinator Margaret Collier at SO1dubs@gmail.com for more information. ALASKA Adult 18 & Over: Registration opens in April. Local league season is May 3-5. Contact Barb Thurston at barbarathurston@mac.com for more information. Adult 40 & Over: Registration opens in April. Local league season is May Contact Barb Thurston at barbarathurston@mac.com for more information. Adult 55 & Over: Registration opens in April. Local league season is May 3-5. Contact Barb Thurston at barbarathurston@mac.com for more information. One Doubles League is Summer Tennis on Your Terms If you want to play tennis in a league this summer that offers competition, flexibility, and fun then check out One Doubles! Each team match consists of just one doubles match and teams require a minimum of two players but can have up to six on a team to avoid any summer vacation scheduling conflicts. One Doubles teams schedule their own matches at the courts of their choice. The USTA/PNW will offer the following levels this summer: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 in men s and women s divisions for ages 18 and older. Players must be USTA members and have a self-rating or computer rating at the level they wish to compete. All local area champions will advance to the One Doubles Sectional Championships in Yakima, Wash., on September The 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 Section Champions will form our Tri-Level team from the USTA/PNW and be eligible to compete at the Tri-Level National Invitational in March 2014 in Indian Wells, Calif. Check out your local area league info on pages 2-3 of this issue and the May issue of Passing Shots to find registration and season dates as well as One Doubles Coordinator contact information.

4 Super Seniors Look to Surprise at USTA League National Championships The 2012 Super Senior National Championships will be held April and April in Surprise, Arizona. The 6.0 and 8.0 divisions will kick things off the first weekend. Teams representing the Pacific Northwest are: 6.0 Men Sprinker Tennis Center (Ronning) 6.0 Men (Wildcard) Eugene YMCA (Clark) 6.0 Women Yakima Tennis Club (Bader/ Betzing) 8.0 Men Irvington Club (Hall/Popplewell) 8.0 Women Vancouver T. C. (Annette/Kash) The 7.0 and 9.0 divisions will be held April Teams representing the Pacific Northwest are: 7.0 Men Valley Athletic Club (Heay) 7.0 Women Robinswood T.C. (Barnard) 9.0 Men Portland Athletic Club (Cooley) 9.0 Women Independent (Kurz) USTA/PNW to Pilot Tri-Level Doubles League in Alaska You may have heard of the Tri-Level League that is played in other USTA sections. The USTA/PNW has chosen Alaska as our first area to pilot this league format. The concept of Tri-Level is that players at three different NTRP levels (such as 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5) can all play on the same team. Team matches are best of three individual doubles matches with the players at each level competing against players at the same level (3.5 vs. 3.5, 4.0 vs. 4.0, and 4.5 vs. 4.5). For Alaska, Tri-Level is an excellent format for their demographics with men playing a 3.5/4.0/4.5 league and women playing a 3.0/3.5/4.0 league. With only a few 4.5 men and 4.0 women in the area, the format provides players at those levels an opportunity to play USTA League tennis. It s also a great way for players of different levels to play together on the same team and meet new friends! Alaska residents interested in playing Tri- Level should contact Local League Coordinator Dana Griffin at danag727@gmail.com. If you live outside of Alaska and are interested in this format in your area of the Pacific Northwest, contact your local league coordinator or Adam Hutchinson at ahutchinson@pnw.usta.com.

5 Tennis Afterschool Zone Debuts in Four School Districts This Month You read about our new Tennis Afterschool Zone (TAZ) program in our inaugural e-newsletter last month. Kids in eight Pacific Northwest schools will play in the first-ever TAZ programs this spring. Kudos to these districts for being the first to bring TAZ to their schools: Bellingham, Wash., Central Kitsap, Wash., Tumwater, Wash., Corvallis, Ore., and Post Falls, Idaho. If you have contacts at your local schools and want to start the program in your community, please let us know. The list of schools wanting to run TAZ this fall is growing daily. We re also recruiting for the very best TAZ instructors who are vital in our partnering with school districts. Outstanding individuals who enjoy working with kids are encouraged to apply at or with any questions. Get in on the Fun: Play USTA Jr. Team Tennis This Summer The USTA Pacific Northwest invites all junior tennis players to play USTA Jr. Team Tennis. Summer teams are forming now. Jr. Team Tennis emphasizes teamwork, skill development and friendly competition in a fun and social environment. The program brings kids together in teams of similar age groups and skill levels. Each team is led by a parent manager or team coach who registers to form a team by contacting the USTA Jr. Team Tennis coordinator in their area listed below. Please contact the local coordinator in your area listed below or USTA/PNW Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator Mark Toppe at markt@pnw.usta.com for more information. King/Snohomish County (Greater Seattle area) Contact: Travis Roach (206) or twiz97@hotmail.com Divisions: ages 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 18 and under Greater Portland Area Contact: Brian Loomis (503) or loomisjtt@aol.com Divisions: ages 10, 12, 14, 18 and under Mid-Willamette Valley (Salem Corvallis area) Contact: Rose Gillette (503) or gilletfam@msn.com Divisions: ages 14 and under, 18 and under Southwest Washington (Tacoma-Olympia-Bremerton) Contact: Derek Hilt (360) or derekh4285@gmail.com Divisions: ages 14 and under, 18 and under USTA Pacific Northwest April

6 Entry Deadline Dates Tournament Name ID # (click link to go to tourn. page) Location Apr 6 Apr Willamette Valley Challenger ( Albany, OR Apr 8 Apr 13 THPRD Rookie One Day Tourn ( Beaverton, OR Apr 7 Apr RVSTC Girls Champs Dual Level ( Medford, OR Apr 8 Apr West Hills Boys & Girls Challenger ( Portland, OR Apr 9 Apr Sprinker Challenger/Rookie Superset ( Tacoma, WA Apr 12 Apr YTC Boys' Champs Dual ( Yakima, WA Apr 15 Apr Capitol City Tennis Champs # ( Tumwater, WA Apr 17 May 3-5 Mercer Island C.C. Dual Level ( Mercer Isl., WA Apr 21 May 3-5 RVSTC Boys Dual ( Medford, OR May 3 May Seattle Tennis Club Jr. Challenger ( Seattle, WA May 5 May Univ. of Puget Sound Spring Champs ( Tacoma, WA May 5 May Newport Hills Kick-off Rookie/Novice ( Bellevue, WA May 12 May Newport Hills Kick-Off Challenger ( Bellevue, WA May 13 May Seattle City Jr Challenger ( Seattle, WA May 18 May Salem Memorial Day Champs ( Salem, OR May 24 May 31-June 2 Capitol City Challenger & Rookie ( Tumwater, WA Join USTA/PNW Staff for a Junior Tennis Town Hall Meeting in Your Area USTA/PNW Director of Competition Jim Markin and Junior Competition Coordinator Valerie Weaks will be going to Southern Oregon April 1-4 to talk USTA junior tennis. Please click for more info on those locations and times. (An Eastern Washington tour is also planned on April 9-12 and location/times will be posted on the USTA/PNW website as soon as possible.). Jim and Valerie will be reviewing all aspects of USTA junior tennis in the Pacific Northwest and your input is extremely valuable in the evaluation process. This is an opportunity to have your voice be heard with regards to junior tennis competition in your area. In addition to listening to your comments, they can also answer questions regarding junior tennis in the Pacific Northwest and at the USTA national level. All parents, players, teaching professionals, etc., are welcome to attend one of the town hall meetings. No RSVP is required and if you have any questions, please contact Valerie Weaks at weaks@pnw.usta.com.

7 Entry Deadline Dates Tournament Name ID # (click link to go to tourn. page) Location Apr 8 Apr Silver Lake NTRP: Doubles Only ( Everett, WA Apr 19 Apr The Senior Classic ( Vancouver, WA Apr 26 May 3-5 Washington State Senior Indoor ( Harbor Sq., WA Apr 28 May 3-5 Aces Tennis NTRP Singles ( Renton, WA Apr 29 May 3-5 Players VTC Grand Slam #2 (Sngls) ( Vancouver, WA Apr 29 May USTA National Men's Indoor ( Vancouver, WA (Category 1 Ranking Points: 1000) May 6 May Silver Lake NTRP - Singles Only ( Everett, WA May 18 May ATC Memorial Day NTRP Classic ( Albany, OR May 19 May Bob Fredericks Memorial Day NTRP ( Bremerton, WA May 19 May AV Tennis Center Memorial Day Open ( Renton, WA May 27 May 31-Jun 2 Players/VTC Grand Slam #2 (Dbls) ( Vancouver, WA USTA/PNW Looking for New Tennis Officials The USTA/PNW Officials Committee is looking to recruit new tennis officials to work at tennis tournaments throughout the Pacific Northwest. New officials receive training and are paid for officiating at tournaments. The USTA/PNW Officials Committee will hold two schools (trainings) on Sunday, May 5. One will be held in Portland and the other in Spokane, Wash. Please contact Marianne Conroy by at mroseconroy@msn.com if you would like more information or to sign up for the new officials school in either location.

8 Advertisements in PASSING SHOTS are provided as a free service to USTA/PNW Organization Members. Ad content is the responsibility of each organization and readers should contact advertisers directly for more information. If you are a USTA/PNW Organization Member and would like more information regarding advertising in a future issue of PASSING SHOTS, please Ruth Turner at rutht@pnw.usta.com.