Mixed Leagues Approaching in USTA Missouri

With the USTA Missouri adult spring season well underway and teams punching their tickets to the sectional round, it’s a terrific time for players to start gathering their squads for the district’s upcoming mixed league offerings.

Leslie Echols — USTA Missouri adult league coordinator — is requesting individuals to contact her with their intent to captain 18+ and 40+ mixed teams by the deadline of June 24. She hopes there will be enough interest from players in the Springfield and Columbia pockets to produce mixed league options for several ability levels. Echols can be reached via email at lemotennis@gmail.com

“We had our regular mixed leagues last summer, which was the first time we had a fair number of teams in a while,” Echols said. “There was so much interest we had some flex leagues in the winter as well. Our women’s leagues tend to be the most populated. But in terms of interest, I get more questions about ‘When is mixed starting? Do you know who is captaining?’ I get way more questions about mixed than any other league. I think it’s going to be a great year.”

The mixed league season will begin the last week of June for both the 18 & Over and 40 & Over age divisions. Echols plans for the 40+ 7.0 mixed league to take place on Monday nights while the 40+ 8.0 league will occur Thursday evenings. The 18+ 7.0 league, meanwhile, will be played Tuesday nights. And the 18+ 8.0 league is Wednesday nights.

This schedule enables competitors to partake in multiple leagues if they want. The regular spring leagues will be concluding that same week for the most part as well, which allows those participants to immediately join the mixed league action.

“We’re really hoping to have just a ton of involvement,” Echols said. “People who have been playing in the men’s and women’s leagues will be freed up to jump into those mixed leagues.”

While the 7.0 and 8.0 combined levels are currently on the books, Echols said if there is enough interest she can always form 6.0 and 9.0 leagues, too. Teams competing in mixed leagues in Springfield will play their matches at Cooper Tennis Complex, while Columbia-based teams play at Cosmo-Bethel Park.

“Mixed leagues are a unique opportunity to have maybe a 3.0 and a 4.0 player on the same court or a 3.5 and a 4.5 player on the same court,” Echols said. “It’s a really neat opportunity for lower-level players to play with higher-level players as a partner. It’s also a neat opportunity to play against higher-level players on the other side of the court. That flexibility and variety in who you play with and who you play against is really appealing for people who are trying to grow their game.”

The 55 & Over mixed season kicks off the second week of August. Echols would like individuals to contact her with their intent to captain a team for these leagues by the deadline of August 1.

USTA Missouri didn’t offer any 55+ leagues last year and hasn’t in several years. With the district hosting the first-ever 55+ mixed sectional in USTA Missouri Valley history in November, it’s a great opportunity for teams to earn advancement to a historic event in their own backyard.

“I have been really surprised at how many of the 55 & Over players have come forward to say, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to play in that age group,’” Echols said. “They see it as a good opportunity. They’re typically playing on these 18 & Over and 40 & Over teams. They’re strong and great players.”