USTA League Award Winners

The USTA Missouri Valley announced its 2018 USTA League award winners. These annual awards go to the organizer, captain, and player who have made a difference through the USTA League program.  The recipients will be honored during the USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Committee meeting on Dec. 1.

The Facility of the Year is LaFortune Tennis Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. LaFortune hosted the 40 & Over Mixed Section Championship, and had over 150 teams organize out of its facility in 2018. Of those teams, 14 won USTA League section championships and advanced to the 2018 League National Championships. Tulsa had 19 teams at the 2.5 level, introducing 77 new players to the USTA League program. 

The Captain of the Year is Paul Spangler in St. Louis. Spangler has served as a captain since 1991, and has captained over 54 teams since 2002 when the TennisLink registration system was introduced. Spangler has captained teams in a number of age divisions including 18 & over, 55 & over and 65 & over. He currently captains 3.5 and 7.0 teams.

The Player of the Year is Jody Holsinger in Overland Park, Kansas. In 2018, Holsinger played on 13 different teams. She is a releatively new USTA League Player, however, she quickly found success. She was part of a 40 & Over 3.5 team which advanced to USTA League Nationals this year, and also represented the USTA Missouri Valley at the National NTRP Championships in 2017. 

USTA League Tennis is a competitive, team-based match play format designed for all players 18 and older and of all skill level. Teams are generally made up of approximately eight players, depending on the division played and all matches are played against those of a similar skill level.