Another Successful JTT Local Leagues Season in the Books

Game, Set, and Match! It’s a wrap on the 2021 USTA NorCal Junior Team Tennis (JTT) Local Leagues Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. After a year without organized tennis in 2020, coaches, players, and parents alike were itching to get back out on the courts, and this year’s Local Leagues didn’t disappoint.

JTT Local Leagues is a fun recreational match play opportunity for young players to play tennis in a supportive team environment and compete against other similar level-based teams within a local region weekly.

The goal is to provide an outlet for junior players to work on their skill development, learn good habits of sportsmanship, team building, and most importantly, have FUN!

For many coaches and players, the league adds a level of comfort to introduce more formal match play in a low-pressure environment and builds individual growth, social growth, and life skills in fun singles, doubles, and mixed doubles play opportunities

But don’t just take our word for it. We got the inside scoop on the 2021 seasons from coaches and players, both new and seasoned JTT participants, in two different Northern California JTT regions.

And what was consistent across the board? How much they all enjoyed their experience.

For coach Gay Finch out of Santa Cruz, she really values the introduction to tennis and the skills it helps players build for formal match play in a fun, more relaxed environment. Finch has been teaching kids tennis for over 30 years and has been involved in JTT Local Leagues for several years.

This year she coached Orange and Yellow ball teams, with almost all of her kids being beginners into tennis.

“The team aspect of the league helps them understand the sportsmanship of the game and practice the skills they learn together,” Finch said. “Many of my kids are younger players, and at this age tennis should be about fun, and the team aspect helps that as they learn the sport."

She also added that the weekly league format is beneficial for her kids. “A lot of them have never played in big tournaments or are members of clubs, so this gives them a great opportunity to try out tennis, visit other clubs, see other places, and the attitudes of other kids at different levels.”

And above all, she says as someone who has been playing tennis since she was 11, she enjoys helping the kids learn and to love the game.

“It’s the little things, like seeing the joy they get when they make the point, when they get their serve in, or them just trying hard and coming back every week and enthusiastic about their lessons,” she shared. “It’s rewarding to watch them progress and see them out there enjoying tennis.”

One of Finch’s Orange ball kids,12-year-old Kairo Bisbee, is relatively new to tennis and he similarly said that JTT Local Leagues allowed him to try out the sport since his school doesn’t have a tennis team or courts. Starting tennis for the first time in March and playing in his first season in May, JTT has helped Bisbee get interested in the sport.

“The first time I played, it was hard and I didn't enjoy it much. But in the second season, I practiced more and started having more fun at the matches,” he said.

And his favorite thing about playing? “It was cool trying out different courts and playing with a variety of players,” Bisbee added. Plus, “It was great to see myself progress from the different seasons the longer I practiced and played.”

And not only is JTT Local Leagues a great starting point for players, but also coaches who are new to teaching in JTT.

First-time JTT Local Leagues coach Emily Prescott, out of the San Francisco area, worked with a Green ball team this year and said she especially enjoyed the team aspect of the league.

“You don't often get to be on a team in tennis so this was a fun way for the kids to make new friends and learn how to support each other during matches,” Prescott said. “JTT Local leagues is a great entry into playing matches, and this environment breaks down the nerves a bit and is fun for them since they get to play with their friends.”

Prescott also appreciates the opportunity JTT provides to compete at different facilities each week.

“I think it is good for the kids to play in different environments and face different elements such as a hot indoor facility or a windy outdoor facility,” she said. “I think it’s helps their game for them to see where other kids their age are learning to play tennis.”

After her first year in JTT Local Leagues, Prescott enjoyed coaching in the leagues she played in herself as a kid, but also emphasized how much her kids enjoyed it too.

“I think they love being part of a team,” Prescott added. “Many of them have grown up playing in clinics together but have never been on a competitive tennis team. I think it’s fun for them to play against new people, play doubles together, and cheer each other on.”

Unlike Prescott in her first year, one of the players on her team is a seasoned JTT Local Leagues player for the past four years and shared that it’s playing with different kids and on a team is what keeps him coming back.

“I like playing with my friends,” said 11-year-old Niam Jian. “I think it helps to play with friends and team members because I know their strengths and weaknesses. I also get to play more matches, which helps make me a better player.”

There you have it! While all of the coaches and players had a variety of reasons they had a great time in the 2021 JTT Local Leagues seasons, the one thing they can all agree on is how much fun they had and they are ready to get back out there for the 2022 season.

If you are interested in joining the fun, click here to learn more about the upcoming 2022 Spring season.