Dear ATA Parents and Players,

Junior Team Tennis Spring season is quickly approaching! JTT is an awesome opportunity for players to compete within a team environment, set goals, be exposed to challenging competition, receive on-court coaching and play for something greater than individual merit. Teams are based on age and development level. It is a perfect first competitive experience for JD and QuickStart players (there is even an 8&U Red Ball division) who have never played tournaments and it is a valuable vehicle for more experienced players to work on various areas of their game. League winners in several levels will represent Austin at the state tournament this May 18-19 in Midland, TX.

The last several seasons have seen multiple ATA teams represented in the state championship as well as the national championships. ATA has won 5 national JTT championships over the past few years and also dozens of state titles!

FAQs

Schedule? Tentative start of the season is February 17th. Matches are played Sunday afternoons and consist of 8 game pro sets (2 sets to 4 in 10U divisions). A typical day begins with a warm-up 30 minutes prior to start time and matches last for approximately two and a half hours. Players should plan to stay through the end of the match and support their teammates. Half of the matches are played at ATA and the other half at the opponent’s sites in Austin.

Commitment? Teams consist of 4-8 players who must commit to playing a majority of the matches. If an occasional conflict arises, it is imperative to communicate with the coach to prevent a default. We schedule JTT matches best we can to not conflict with Challenger, Champ and Superchamp tournaments. For each match, teams are assigned a coach/academy player. There have been times when coaches are traveling and academy players are in tournaments and we may ask the help of a parent.

Cost? $150 for the season and players must be a current member of the USTA or be willing to register. Become a member online at www.usta.com and click on membership. Fee of $20/year includes access to all USTA tournaments, leagues and a subscription to various tennis publications. Any player 10 & Under who needs to register for the first time gets a FREE membership!

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the number of matches per season, because it depends upon how many teams in the city register and how well the team does.

HOW TO REGISTER

Please reply to our JTT Coordinator, Coach Carrie at carrie.kalapala@austintennisacademy.com to register or if you have any questions. Coach Carrie will be putting teams together and players need to sign up by Feb 1st, if you would like your son/daughter to be part of JTT. Schedules will go out after JTT captains meeting on February 11th. Please include when signing up player’s level (See below), birthdate, and USTA membership number. Player must be eligible in their age bracket until the end of the season May 31st.

Levels:

USTA Ratings

8U Red Ball

10U Orange Beginner

10U Orange Intermediate (Plays challengers)

10U Green

12U Green ball

12U 1.9 & Below

12U 2.4 & Below

14U 2.4 & Above

14U 2.9 & Below

14U 3.4 & Below

18U 2.9 & Below

18U 3.4 & Below