Tri-Level Tournament Coming to Springfield

USTA Missouri is slated to host a men’s and women’s tri-level tournament on Saturday, September 18 at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield. Winning teams for each gender will earn advancement to the USTA Missouri Valley Tri-Level Section Invitational in Kansas City in mid-October.

While Leslie Echols — USTA Missouri adult league coordinator — previously considered testing the waters with a tri-level league, an all-day tri-level tournament seemed the better fit with several other adult league offerings taking place this fall.

“In reviewing the Sectional and National Championship schedules, I was going through all of the teams and leagues we had and that we would be able to send someone on to the USTA Missouri Valley Tri-Level Section Invitational,” Echols said. “I have been reading and rereading our rules and regulations. When I got to the tri-level section and realized as long as a team plays at least three times, that really increased our options in terms of having time to have a team qualify. That was exciting.”

To that end, teams entering the tourney will be guaranteed three matches. Echols said if enough teams sign up, the event will feature brackets. Though specific match times haven’t been pinned down, participants can expect to have a full day of tennis with breaks littered throughout.

Echols advised anyone considering being a captain to start gathering their teams together. Each squad must have a minimum of six players and a maximum of 12 players - and each team must have at least two rostered players at NTRP levels  3.5, 4.0, and 4.5.  Questions can be directed to Echols at lemotennis@gmail.com

Teams and individual players can register to participate in the September 18 tri-level tournament by clicking here.

“I want it to be welcome to anyone who’s interested,” Echols said. “I will help put teams together for people who don’t have a team. If there are Columbia players or players coming from other places and they don’t have enough for a team, we can help bring people together.”

The first-place team on both the men’s side and women’s side will qualify for the Tri-level Section Invitational at Kansas City’s Plaza Tennis Center October 15-17.