USTA PACIFIC NORTHWEST E-NEWSLETTER E MAY 2014 By Matthew Warren Executive Director USTA Pacific Northwest Offers New Summer Recreational Programs for All Ages It s a very exciting time for the USTA Pacific Northwest (USTA/PNW) as we prepare to launch new recreational tennis programs in six communities next month. Our Family Friendly and Play to Learn tennis programs will offer kids and adults of all ages and abilities a fun and affordable opportunity to play tennis this summer. The non-competitive programs, most of them in partnership with local parks and recreation departments, will be introduced in Seattle, Spokane, Richland and Bellingham, Wash., Eugene, Ore., and Anchorage, Alaska. Both Family Friendly and Play to Learn will be offered at outdoor public courts from June through August. Equipment will be provided and no USTA membership is required to participate. Family Friendly is designed for the entire family to enjoy the sport of tennis together. The program takes place in a high-energy, music-filled environment that provides families with a fun setting in which to learn foundational tennis skills from USTA-trained instructors. At the end of the session, families will play tennis on the same court together to show off their improved skills. Play to Learn is designed for adults and children of all skill levels. The program creates a welcoming environment for new and experienced players by making tennis accessible to all those who would like to learn or improve at the sport, incorporate fitness into their lives, or develop new friendships within their community. Sessions are segmented by age group for children and skill level for adults. We re looking forward to making tennis more accessible to all ages and sharing the benefits of our sport with more people throughout the Pacific Northwest this summer. For Family Friendly and Play to Learn registration and schedule information in Seattle, Spokane, Richland, Bellingham, Eugene and Anchorage, please visit www.pnw.usta.com/ff_ptl_programs/. Page 2: USTA League Page 4: USTA/PNW News & Notes Page 5: Tennis Afterschool Zone (TAZ) Page 6: USTA/PNW Junior Tournament Schedule Page 7: USTA/PNW Adult Tournament Schedule
New and Improved 2015 USTA/PNW League Schedule to be Published by May 30 Shortly after the USTA Pacific Northwest released our 2015 league schedule in April, the USTA National office informed all sections that new initiatives and products to help grow league play were being developed and will be unveiled in the next year. We are concerned that these new national initiatives and products may force yet another schedule change in the next year or two. While that is not guaranteed, we did not want to be in a position of constantly changing the schedule every few years. Additionally, and as importantly, we heard from various Pacific Northwest tennis facilities who expressed great concerns regarding the new 2015 USTA/PNW league schedule published in April. While the new schedule attempted to address long-standing issues, it also brought additional concerns from the facilities that could not be taken lightly. As a result, the USTA/PNW is yielding on implementing any league schedule changes at this time and returning to the traditional league schedule for 2015. The updated dates for the 2015 season will be available by May 30 and will be distributed through multiple outlets. Below are the general time frames when the leagues will be offered (except Alaska and a few select leagues in some areas). We apologize for any confusion and thank you for your patience and understanding. Fall (using Early Start Ratings) Mixed 18 & Over Adult 55 & Over Winter/Spring (using Year End Ratings) Adult 18 & Over Adult 40 & Over Adult 65 & Over Summer (using Year End Ratings) Mixed 40 & Over Mixed 55 & Over Tri-Level Flex Singles and Doubles Singles Flex Leagues Offered Throughout USTA Pacific Northwest in 2014 What are Singles Flex Leagues? They re the ultimate in flexibility for players. One person equals one team and players play against the same gender and at their NTRP level. Players simply register for the flex league on TennisLink and then schedule their own matches. Players can call or e-mail their opponent and then agree on a place and time to play. Matches are best of three sets with a match tiebreak for the third set. Best of all, it s all about the fun! No concerns over ratings, there s no advancement to a Sectional Championship and you get the opportunity to play against new players. For the first time, USTA/PNW players can register for Singles Flex League through the TennisLink system to create their own team online. Here s how you do it: Log-in to http://tennislink.usta.com Click on Online Team Creation under My Quick Links Select USTA/PACIFIC NW Select your District/Area Select 2014 Singles Flex Select your NTRP level Type in your team name Select Create Team and finish the registration process. Once the registration deadline closes, all teams will be notified about contact info for other teams in their flight and then you can go play! Deadline to register for Singles Flex is June 20 and the season will end August 31.
One Doubles League Offers Summer Fun, Flexibility and Competition One Doubles is a fun format for all players age 18 and over. Up to four players can register for a team and two of those players then play in a One Doubles match against an opposing team. Best of all, players set their own schedule. Want to play at a park or high school? No problem! Just call your opponent, agree on a date, time and location, and play tennis! Registration is still open for One Doubles leagues in the Alaska, Northwest and Eastern Washington areas. Listed below are the team registration deadlines for those areas. Contact your USTA/PNW Area League Coordinator (www.pnw.usta.com/usta-league/coordinators/) now to register a team or to get help finding a team in your area. Alaska May 24 Northwest Washington June 8 Eastern Washington May 23 Individual players in Southwest and Central Washington, Northern Oregon, Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon who are interested in joining existing teams should contact the local league coordinator in those areas. Mixed 40 & Over and Mixed 55 & Over Leagues Set for Summer Play The beautiful Pacific Northwest summer is just around the corner and nothing is better than playing tennis outside under sunny skies! Registration is still open for leagues in the Northwest, Eastern, and Central Washington areas. Listed below are the team registration deadlines for those areas. Contact your USTA/PNW Area League Coordinator (www.pnw.usta.com/usta-league/coordinators/) now to register a team or to get help finding a team in your area. Northwest Washington June 1 (both leagues) Eastern Washington June 6 (Mixed 40 & Over only) Central Washington June 20 (Mixed 40 & Over only); June 27 (Mixed 55 & Over only) Individual players in Southwest Washington, Northern Oregon, Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon who are interested in joining existing teams should contact the local league coordinator in those areas. Local league play will be held June through August with the USTA/PNW Sectionals held in Sunriver, Ore., on September 12-14 for Mixed 40 & Over and September 14-16 for Mixed 55 & Over. 2014 USTA Pacific Northwest League Sectional Championships Kick Off in June The first USTA/PNW League Sectional Championships of 2014 kick off next month with the Adult 55 & Over and Adult 65 & Over divisions. These events will be held in Sunriver, Ore., from June 26-29 (Adult 55 & Over) and June 29- July 2 (Adult 65 & Over). Both events are scheduled one week later in June from previous years to increase the chance of better weather! The Championship packets for these events will be posted by May 23 on the USTA/PNW website League Championships page at www.pnw.usta.com/usta-league/championships. Event schedules are in the process of being finalized and will also be posted on that page as soon as possible. For more information on any of the 2014 USTA/PNW League Sectional Championships, please contact Adam Hutchinson at ahutchinson@pnw.usta.com.
USTA Pacific Northwest League Teams Bring Home National Titles USTA/PNW teams had a strong showing at the Adult 55 & Over League National Championships in Surprise, Ariz., in April bringing home two national titles! Below are the USTA/PNW teams that finished in the top four congratulations to all teams that advanced to the national championships! 6.0 Women Harbor Square A.C., Edmonds, Wash. (1st place National Champions) 6.0 Men Columbia A.C. Silver Lake, Everett, Wash. (4th place) 8.0 Women Eugene (Ore.) Swim & Tennis (1st place National Champions) 8.0 Men Seattle Tennis Club (3rd place). 2013 Mixed 40 & Over National Invitational USTA/PNW teams also had a strong showing in Maui, Hawaii in April for the Mixed 40 & Over National Invitational bringing home one national invitational title! 7.0 Mixed Team Hansen, Seattle (4th place) 8.0 Mixed Mtn. Park R.C., Lake Oswego, Ore. (4th place) 9.0 Mixed Courthouse, Salem, Ore. (1st place National Invitational Champion photo above). Nominate Your Captain for the 2014 USTA/PNW League Captain of the Year Awards Do you play on a league team that has an outstanding captain who s extremely organized, great at motivating your players, and displays good sportsmanship? How about a captain who schedules practices, provides beverages and/or is just an awesome person to be around? If so, then nominate him or her for one of the USTA/PNW Captain of the Year awards! Nominations will be accepted starting June 1 and captains can be nominated in the following categories: Male Captain of the Year Female Captain of the Year Rookie Male Captain of the Year Rookie Female Captain of the Year To nominate your captain, visit www.pnw.usta.com between June 1 through August 1, 2014. Award recipients will be honored at the USTA/PNW Annual Awards Luncheon on October 18 in Portland. Sign Up for USTA Coach Youth Tennis Workshop on June 5 in Kirkland, Washington The USTA s Coach Youth Tennis Workshop will help anyone working with kids have the confidence and tools to keep kids playing and having fun. The workshop will offer the best games, tips and techniques for P.E. instructors, moms and dads, team tennis coaches, parks and facility staff anyone who works with kids. And it s currently the only Coach Youth Tennis Workshop scheduled in our area. Coach Youth Tennis Workshop June 5 5:30 p.m. 9 p.m. Fee: $15 Central Park Tennis Club Kirkland, Wash. Host site director: Ted Sayrahder (tedsayrahder@gmail.com) Register online and get more information: http://coachyouthtennis.com.
Students, Parents and Instructors All Enjoy the Benefits of TAZ in 2014 The USTA Pacific Northwest (USTA/PNW) Tennis Afterschool Zone (TAZ) program is going strong in 2014 with 19 programs with over 200 participants. Spring is a great time of year for schools to offer TAZ and new programs were offered in Portland along with Tumwater, Olympia, Tacoma, Bellingham, Seattle and Bellevue, Wash. Many of the TAZ programs resulted from successful partnerships between the USTA/PNW and local Boys and Girls Clubs, School Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN), Community Centers, and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). Parents and students alike are enjoying TAZ but it may be the instructors that have the most fun. In Portland, Instructor Kevin Moore says his favorite part of TAZ is seeing the kids enjoying themselves rallying while making goals and staying honest with each other when calling lines. Learning these parts of the game will help them out not only on the tennis court but also in other sports, and ultimately in life! At Gatewood Elementary School in West Seattle, a TAZ tradition is growing in large part due to Site Director/Instructor Roberto Gandolffi and his crew. TAZ is in its second cycle at the school and plans to offer the program again this fall are in full swing thanks to Roberto and instructors Meagan Kirby, Tom Osmond and John Justus. Each TAZ program at Gatewood has served more than 15 students in the school s gym and a big session-finale Play Day with parent participation is a highlight of the program. The USTA/PNW is already looking to start the 2014-2015 school year off right with TAZ! You can help USTA/PNW in many different ways including: Identifying a school that is interested and has gym availability for the first hour afterschool. Spreading the word about TAZ to fellow tennis players and parents, especially if a quality program is already taking place in your community. Identifying potential partnerships with Parent Teacher Associations (PTA/PTG or PTO) as many of our most successful TAZ programs have been sponsored by those organizations. Applying for a Site Director or Instructor position or finding people you know that enjoy sharing the game of tennis with youth. Most instructors and site directors had little or no experience delivering tennis before getting involved in the TAZ program. The USTA/PNW provides the necessary curriculum and training and it s easy to apply. Go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/tazapp2013 to become part of our TAZ team and contact Hank Bauer at taz@pnw.usta.com with any questions about the program.
Entry Deadline Dates Tournament Name ID # (click link to go to tourn. page) Location May 26 May 30-June 1 Capitol City Tennis Challenger & Rookie - 600311214 Tumwater, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149826 May 26 May 31 THPRD Boys/Girls 16 Singles Half-Day Challenger - 600006014 Beaverton, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149423 May 30 June 5-8 & 14-15 Cathy Tracy Jr. Champs & QuickStart - 600002914 Anchorage, AK http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154236 May 31 June 13-15 2014 NW WA Junior Championships - 600012514 Kent, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149878 June 1 June 6-8 UVTC Summer Kick-Off Jr. Challenger - 600009914 Roseburg, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149797 June 1 June 6-8 Willamette Valley Jr. Champs - 600012214 Albany, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149866 June 1 June 6-8 Renton Aces Junior Rookie Singles - 600804914 Renton, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149138 June 3 June 7 Golden Days Quickstart Tournament - 600018914 Fairbanks, AK http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154173 June 5 June 13-15 Sunset Athletic Club Summer Challenger - 600025413 Portland, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=148696 June 6 June 20-22 THPRD Boys and Girls Level 5 Champs - 600006214 Beaverton, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149472 June 8 June 20-22 Sprinker Jr Champs/Challenger/ Rookie Superset - 600007914 Tacoma, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=148309 June 10 June 20-21 Silver Lake Jr. Rookies - 600800414 Everett, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=150949 June 12 June 19-21 Sunriver Summer Solstice Jr. Challenger - 600109814 Sunriver, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=150322 June 13 June 27-29 116th Oregon State Jr. Rookie - 600018314 Beaverton, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149475 June 13 June 27-29 116th Oregon State Jr. Challenger - 600507914 Beaverton, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149473 June 14 June 20-22 Eastside T.C. Orange & Green Dot Championships - 600023714 Kirkland, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154556 June 15 June 20-22 SummerSlam Survivor Series: Castaway Challenge - 600018414 Portland, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=152925 June 17 June 21 Midnight Sun QuickStart Tournament - 600019014 Fairbanks, AK http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154174 June 18 June 26-29 Yakima Tennis Club Level 3-600002814 Yakima, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=148892 June 21 June 26-29 Eastside TC June Challenger - 600023814 Kirkland, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154556 June 23 June 27-29 Black Butte Ranch Jr. Challenger - 600017514 Prineville, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=152617 June 23 June 27-29 Midnight Sun Tournament - 600022514 Fairbanks, AK http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154140
Entry Deadline Dates Tournament Name ID # (click link to go to tourn. page) Location May 23 June 2-8 Seattle City Open - 600411714 (Level I - 500) Seattle, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=148855 May 26 May 30-June 1 Players/VTC Grand Slam #2 - Doubles - 600004814 (Level 1-500) Vancouver, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149315 June 6 June 13-15 NE Washington Championship (Level I) - 600007214 (Level 1-500) Spokane Vlly, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149650 June 8 June 13-15 Lithia Toyota Open Championships - 600100914 (Level 1-500) Medford,OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=148353 June 8 June 14-15 Salem Superset Championships - 600022914 (Level 2-250) Salem, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154251 June 8 June 20-22 USTA National MD,Sr. MD,Super Sr. MD Indoor - 600000614 (Cat. 1) Vancouver, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=139920 June 15 June 19-22 Umpqua Valley Sr., NTRP, & Open - 600010014 (Level 1-500) Roseburg, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149799 June 18 June 27-29 USTA National Mother/Son Grass Courts - 600002314 (Category 1) Baker City, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149400 June 20 June 23-29 adidas Open Championships 2014-600212214 (Level 1-500) Portland, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=150142 June 20 June 27-29 Third Annual Tournament of the Palouse - 600020714 (Level 2-250) Pullman, WA http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=153580 June 21 June 28-29 Summer Shootout and BBQ - 600020414 (Level 2-250) Portland, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=153462 June 23 June 27-29 Black Butte Ranch Adult NTRP - 600017614 (Level 2-250) Black Butte, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=152618 June 23 June 27-29 Midnight Sun Tournament - 600022514 (Level 2-250) Fairbanks, AK http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=154140 June 27 July 10-13 115th GPTC/Nike Women's Oregon Champs - 600502114 (Super Cat. 2-850) PDX, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=152952 June 28 July 3-6 RBC Wealth Management Open - 600106114 (Sectional - 600) Eugene, OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149557 June 28 July 8-13 115th GPTC Men's Oregon Champs - 600502214 (Level 2-250) Lake Osw., OR http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?t=149442 Interested in playing in the 2014 National Public Parks Tennis Championships, August 16-24 in Oakland, Calif.? Visit www.npptc2014.com for more information.