New fall, winter leagues expand play opportunities for adults

To assist in accommodating the ongoing growth occurring within the district, USTA Missouri has once again expanded its league offerings for adult competitors.

The district hosted its first fall league session in September and is in the midst of a second fall season. USTA Missouri intends to hold a winter session beginning in January as well as a spring season that kicks off in February.

All of these new options are six-week seasons—with tennis balls included in the cost of registration—and take place at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo.

“Before this year, we only had summer leagues available to our players,” Stephanie Wachob said. “We are fortunate to have an indoor facility that we can use year-round, so why wouldn’t we take advantage of that?”

Wachob, USTA local league coordinator for Springfield, is about to begin a new role in January 2025 as USTA Missouri district league coordinator. Wachob said earlier in 2024, USTA Missouri Executive Director Leslie Echols discussed the idea of adding all-new fall and winter leagues to the mix to offer players the opportunity to compete in USTA Leagues year-round.

Teams have the capability of advancing to districts, the USTA Missouri Valley Section Championships and the USTA League National Championships. A trio of USTA Missouri teams progressed to nationals in 2024, and the addition of these six-week seasons should only strengthen the district’s caliber of postseason play while providing more league options for players.

“Since these leagues are new, we are setting them up a little different than summer leagues,” Wachob said. “Instead of captains coming to us with teams already put together, we are asking players to sign up then we are putting teams together. This has been great for introducing new players to our USTA Leagues and helping captains find new players for their future teams.”

The fresh offerings have drawn a few new players who just moved to Springfield, a handful of recently graduated high school players as well as some individuals who wanted to try USTA Leagues for the first time.

Wachob said individuals who would like to sign up for the upcoming winter league that starts in January can reach out to her. She can be reached at 417-880-9986 or Stephanie.Wachob@gmail.com.

For more information on USTA Missouri leagues, click here.