Net Notes

NET NOTES - NEWS NEAR YOU

Be sure to visit our Facebook page for event photo galleries and our Instagram for more event coverage. facebook.com/ustamissourivalley instagram.com/ustamovalley

NEW SECTION STAFF

We are pleased to announce some recent staff changes for USTA Missouri Valley.

Noah Bortnick is the new Junior Competition Program Manager. Noah will be working to implement the new junior competition structure in collaboration with the Junior Competition Committee, tournament directors, coaches, parents and players. Noah comes to us from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Noah participated on the Tennis on Campus team at the University of Kansas and is currently completing his Masters in Business Administration at Rockhurst University.

Amber Gerdes is our new Digital Content Producer. She previously worked with the Marketing Communications staff as a Digitial Assistant in St. Louis. Amber will take the lead on USTA.com as well as social media. She’ll also be covering tournaments and events, and collecting video and photos to tell the story about tennis in our seven districts. Amber is a recent graduate of Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois where she was the volleyball team captain. She resides in St. Louis with her new husband, Aaron.

JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS WRAPS UP IN TULSA

A total of 22 teams competed in the 12s, 14s and 18s age divisions at Junior Team Tennis Section Championships at LaFortune Tennis Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 22-24. The winning team from the 14s and 18s divisions advances to compete in the USTA National Junior Team Tennis Championship in San Antonio, Texas in November.

USTA Junior Team Tennis, designed for players ages 6 to 18, gives players a way to participate in an individual sport and experience the excitement of team play. The program emphasizes fun and fitness, and groups players by age-group and skill level, leading to more competitive matches.

Champions: 18U Advanced: Southern Hills, Oklahoma 18U Intermediate: RH-91 Intermediate White, Oklahoma 14U Intermediate: RH-91 Intermediate White, Oklahoma 12U Intermediate: BCCTA Barracudas, Oklahoma

Sportsmanship Winners: 18U Advanced: Lillie Williams (IC Tennis), Kansas and Chris Arnett (Iconic), Kansas

18U Intermediate: Julia Spaulding (Kickingbird), Oklahoma and Brendan Cunnane (CCRC), St. Louis

14U Intermediate: Abby Morris (Homestead), Heart of America and Cameron Strickland (Andover), Kansas

12U Green Intermediate: Bella Negley (Lafortune), Oklahoma and Noah Butler (Sunset HotShots), St. Louis

For more information on Junior Team Tennis, visit usta.com/ustamissourivalleyjtt.

TENNIS ON CAMPUS FALL INVITE CHAMPIONS

Iowa State won the USTA Missouri Valley’s Tennis on Campus Fall Invite, September 28-28 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event featured 16 schools and provided an un-official kickoff to the Tennis on Campus season which will culminate with the USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Section Championships in March. Visit TennisOnCampus.com for more information on the program.

NET GENERATION COMMUNITY COACH WORKSHOPS

USTA Missouri Valley is offering a series of Net Generation Community Coach Workshops to assist community providers to engage more kids by using the customizable practice-and-play plans, activity videos, and access to free modified equipment. Curricula have been developed for red, orange, and green stages of a tennis program using modified equipment targeting beginner players ages 5-18. Additional support is provided with marketing materials and promotions to enhance your coaching experience.

Six of these three-hour workshops have been held so far, with more to be scheduled throughout the section. These workshops teach how to coach, manage, and organize practices and is perfect for full-time and/ or seasonal coaches, parents, volunteers, community tennis providers, or anyone interested in learning more about the Net Generation tools and resources through hands-on experience. Participants will learn more about how to use the curricula in their current programming, the Net Generation App, and Team Challenges for all ball colors.

Visit the News section of USTA.com and click on Community Coach Workshops to learn more.

LASERS WIN BACK TO BACK KING CUPS

The World Team Tennis King Trophy will remain in Springfield another year as the Springfield Lasers’ begin their reign as Back-to-Back world champions.

The Lasers completed a final-set rally to edge the New York Empire, 20-19, in the 44th World TeamTennis championship match August 3, in Las Vegas before an audience which included World TeamTennis co-founder and International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King. This is the Lasers’ second consecutive championship. After 23 years in the league, Springfield won its first King Trophy in 2018.

Visit SpringfieldLasers.com for more information.