St. Louis League Team Competes At Nationals

A St. Louis USTA League team recently earned the opportunity to compete in the 2019 USTA League National Championships. The competing team was a 55 & Over 7.0 Men’s team, captained by John Brinkmeyer and Andre Rog.

We interviewed team co-captain John Brinkmeyer about the team’s experiences competing in the USTA League National Championships in Surprise, Arizona on October 25-27, 2019. 

USTA: What was your experience like competing in nationals? What were your results?

Brinkmeyer: I'm on the return flight from nationals right now, and we had an amazing experience! When we landed in Phoenix on Thursday, a group of us drove to Sedona for a delicious lunch at the Hudson and then on to play tennis at Sunset Park. These courts had the most beautiful views of any courts I have ever played on.

Then we made the 1 hour and 45 minute drive back to the hotel. We jammed to our era of rock the whole way and sang and played air guitar like high-schoolers instead of 55-year-olds. That afternoon will probably be the afternoon that will stick with us the longest. When we got back to the hotel, we had a team dinner and retired early to prepare for our early matches. 

We had a very difficult draw playing teams from USTA Southwest, USTA Caribbean, USTA Southern California and USTA Florida. We played very well against those tough teams, defeating Southwest and Caribbean 2-1 and losing to Florida and California 2-1. They were very tight, exciting matches and Southern California ended up second while Florida won third in the country.

We were the only team to win a match off California and only one other team won  a match off Florida in pool play. We ended up getting eighth place in the country which is very respectable. We played very well and were in contention in every match and had fun!

USTA: How long have you two played tennis together?

Brinkmeyer: Our team has been together for 6 years and this is our second trip to nationals, with the first one being in Fort Lauderdale. We had a tremendous time there as well.

USTA: How do you two push each other's tennis games, or how do you motivate each other on the tennis court?

Brinkmeyer: The percentage of teams that make it to nationals is 1.9 percent so it is quite an accomplishment to be there. We are very cognizant of that fact and don't take it for granted. We do our best to represent USTA Missouri Valley in a positive light on and off the courts.

USTA: What was your favorite memory of the national tournament?

Brinkmeyer: The whole team flew out of St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. We had a raucous flight filled with anticipation. From our past experience, I have learned that the more you compete as a group, the more memorable the trip. These trips are what build camaraderie between team members and make lasting friendships. USTA Missouri Valley did an admirable job in all aspects of the tournament from beginning to end. We appreciate everything they do for competitive tennis and we are proud to be a part of it!

Thanks to John Brinkmeyer for taking the time to share their 55 & Over 7.0 Men’s Nationals experience with our readers. Congratulations to this highly accomplished USTA St. Louis team as a result of their hard work and determination on the courts. Best of luck to them in their future tennis competitions.

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