Tennis Talk
By Sherry Benz
Getting older can be unwelcome, but I remember January 1st of the year I turned 50 years old. I was so excited!!! I qualified to play in yet another USTA league! The same thing happened when I turned 55, 60, 65 and 70! And, enough already!
Did you know … USTA was founded as the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLA) in 1881, dropping the “N” and the “L” from its name when it became the United States Tennis Association (USTA). It is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. USTA is a not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members and invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels. We are most familiar with NorCal which is the Northern California division for USTA. It was created in 2011 to better align participants with players of their own age and skill level.
The Villages has a history of competitive USTA teams. Kudos to the men who have sent 4 teams to the Sectional tournaments and kudos to the women who have sent 10 teams. In our tennis history at the Villages, only one team has competed at Nationals. In 1998, our 3.0 Women’s team traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona and came in a proud 3rd place in the tournament. Tip your hats to players still living in the Villages including Ruth Stiasny, Arlene Bing, Pat Bogdanoff, Jan Holland, Wendy Ferguson, Julie Hawkinson, Connie Fortner and Joan Ender.
USTA has been an important facet of tennis at the Villages for many years. Phyllis Seeger has played in USTA leagues for 13 years and loved it from the start. She currently serves as USTA coordinator for Silver Creek Valley Country Club, has captained many Village’s teams and is a strong advocate for the League. She would say “don’t miss the great team comaraderie, the ability to play at different clubs and a challenging format to improve your game through competition. Step up and play!”
USTA has 2 leagues coming up which will play August 29 – November 4th: Adult 70 and combo league (no age requirement). Both are available at multiple skill levels, so even a new player can find a place to play. If you would be interested in playing in these leagues and want more information, contact Betty Olsen (801-361-5591 or betty_olsen@yahoo.com).