Adult Play Opportunities Abound

With the recent completion of a tri-level tournament, a mixed doubles flex league up and running as well as a men’s flex league on the docket, it’s been a busy and successful season filled with new play opportunities for adult competitors in the USTA Missouri District.

Leslie Echols — USTA Missouri adult league coordinator — said the tri-level tourney that took place September 18 was a fun event for participants. Springfield’s Cooper Tennis Complex hosted the tournament, which featured flights for both men and women.

The winning men’s team captained by Thomas Olhemus and winning women’s team captained by Hee-Sun Kim earned advancement to the USTA Missouri Valley Tri-Level Section Invitational. That event will take place at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City on October 15-17.

The USTA Missouri District has had huge success with mixed doubles play this year, and that trend continued with the formation of an adult 18 & Over mixed doubles flex league that is up and running. The eight-week league competes on Wednesday evenings throughout September and October at Cooper.

A pair of teams are participating in the mixed doubles flex league with about five courts in use each Wednesday. If there is a 4-4 draw when the regular season concludes, a final match the first week of November will decide the champion.

“There has been a lot of excitement for this league,” Echols said. “It’s great to go out and see so many people playing tennis and having a good time. That’s been really exciting. It’s a big group. The final match we are going to have six courts, so all the players will be competing. That’s going to be a fun finale.”

Echols has received interest from men’s players about the creation of their own league for several months, and that came to fruition on September 26 with the start of a 3.5 men’s flex league. This league will run for seven weeks with the possibility of an extra week or two being tacked on if the weather is good enough.

The men’s 18 & Over flex league is also occurring at the Cooper Tennis Complex. Matches are at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday nights. The two competing teams are captained by David Lane and Juan Cabrera, who Echols said were instrumental in the creation of the league.

Interested in playing USTA League tennis? Contact Leslie Echols at lemotennis@gmail.com.