Chicago coach launches neighborhood tennis league, builds thriving community

In the fall of 2025, I started asking people if they would be interested in playing in a league if I started one. There was a great deal of interest. With such strong demand, my next challenge was figuring out how to make it happen. I knew I needed people to help me accomplish this. I asked a few of the players in my Cardio Tennis class if they would be willing to help me start the league, and they agreed. I had my board.

I met with the Chicago Park District supervisor, and she was supportive of the idea. I had access to the courts. The Gompers Park Women's Tennis Association went from a dream to a reality.

At a coaching celebration last October, I mentioned my plan to start a league to USTA Chicago Executive Director, Jill Siegel. She told me about the USTA's Community Tennis Association (CTA) program. Jill and the local Tennis Service Representative, Mary Beth Bowman, put me in touch with Kris Campbell at USTA Midwest. Kris sent me the instructions, and away I went.

I modeled the league after the one I had been playing in for the past nine years. It is a ladder league, which is perfect for a community league—competitive, but friendly and self-leveling. One important goal was to offer opportunities for players of all skill levels.

We started spreading the word. I talked to everyone I knew about the league and our newly formed CTA. My fellow Cardio Tennis coaches helped spread the word as well. At our first board meeting, we decided that a goal of 20 members was reasonable for a new league. We posted signs at local park tennis courts. We held an informational meeting, and we were up and running by June 1, 2026.

We offer match play, open play and special events. Match play is arranged by the players. We have a singles ladder and a doubles ladder. Players challenge people above them on the ladder, arrange the time and place of the match, and report the results. If the challenger wins, that player takes the other player's or team's place on the ladder, and the opponent moves down one spot.

Open play takes place three times a week at scheduled times. Players can come and play with whoever else shows up. It is a great way to meet people and get in playing time.

We currently have 47 members. There are 27 people on the singles ladder and 20 doubles teams, and new members are always welcome to join.

On July 11, we hosted our first special event, which included a skills clinic with the Northwestern University tennis coaching staff. We had all five courts filled with members learning and improving their skills. We will host two round robins in August and September.

It has been so fulfilling to see the community that has grown around the league. Members are meeting new people, forming relationships and improving their tennis games. Our members are contacting one another through WhatsApp for impromptu play. I am so proud of what we have accomplished.

I love tennis because I meet wonderful people, and it is a sport I can play for a lifetime. The people I meet on the tennis court are almost always kind and friendly. I love that players can move to a new community, go to the nearby tennis courts and meet people to play with.

It is a true benefit to have courts available free of charge. Perhaps one day we can expand our opportunities by having lights installed on the courts or gaining more access to evening indoor courts, but we certainly appreciate the Chicago Park District's efforts to resurface and maintain neighborhood courts.

I am thrilled to say that I can now walk to my local tennis courts and play with new and old friends. Through the league, we are providing opportunities for people to play tennis and try the sport in a welcoming and friendly environment. We are fulfilling our mission of providing inclusive opportunities for players of all levels to enjoy friendly yet competitive tennis while building community and growing the game on Chicago's Northwest Side.