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COMMUNITY TENNIS DEVELOPMENT [ Continued from page 9 ]
Hayden Nichols (left)
credits sister Lyna with
getting him on the court
and into JTT. �
Whidbey Island USTA Jr. Team Tennis is truly a family aff air
[ Continued from page 9 ]
nearly forming an outer ring around the kids. A wave of excitement enveloped me and it
was clear that the six nights of matches we had scheduled over the next three weeks were
going to be a little bit about tennis and a lot about connecting with family and friends.
This past summer was not only my first coordinating a USTA Jr. Team Tennis (JTT)
Local League but it was also my first experience with JTT in general. The concept of
JTT was foreign to most people on Whidbey Island and required explanation before
we had buy in. Flyers were passed out at the Whidbey Island High School Girls’ Tennis
practice in May but for the most part, recruiting players was done simply by emailing
and calling people who played tennis.
The Whidbey Island league is organized in a unique fashion. In most JTT leagues, a
team manager and a group of players form their own team and then sign up to be in a
league where they play other teams who have done the same. When it came time to start
the Whidbey Island league, we had all of the kids sign up and then formed the teams
from the pool of players who registered. We strived for balance and tried to account
for skill level and age when deciding who would be placed on which team. However, in
addition to fielding balanced teams, we also tried to group siblings together to help with
ease of scheduling and transportation for families. In the end, balance became more
important and we decided to separate close friends, siblings and cousins. The result was
a bonding amongst all the players.
After the teams were created, four parents stepped up and offered to lead each of
the teams. They were willing to take on the role of Team Manager but were hesitant
because they didn’t really know what was involved in the commitment. After a promise
to support each other and to move forward together, the parent managers flourished.
Among other things, they made an effort to reach out to the players whom they’d just
met, volunteered their time at optional player practices, and brought tennis ball cupcakes
and other goodies for the kids on the last day. Pam Newman, Debbie Raden, Sonya
Simmons Peterson and Nicole Stayskal not only became our volunteer team managers
but they shined as role models and tennis leaders for their own children and others.
Pam Newman was the only manager with experience in tennis competition. Her
seven kids, ranging in age from eight to 23 years, play tennis and together have a collection
of state championship titles. Although her kids are successful on the court, she
30 TENNIS TIMES WINTER 2009/10 � www.pnw.usta.com
� One of several sets of siblings that participated in JTT on
Whidbey Island from left, Carlie, Kody and Hayley Newman.
� The four players recognized for outstanding sportsmanship
include from left, Claire Hofi us, Nathan Shive, Jessica Carey and
Kalie Stayskal.
and her husband Mike don’t overlook the value tennis provides off the court. They
also appreciate that it keeps their large family together.
“What’s so great is that tennis can be an intergenerational thing; children, siblings,
parents playing on the same court,” explains Pam Newman. “Our family keeps racquets
in the car. An hour here or there, after basketball or baseball practice, they all want
to go play. If we’re traveling, we can find a tennis court almost anywhere. It’s an easy
sport to play as a family.”
Lyna Nichols and her younger brother Hayden also realize the familial ties of the
sport. It was two years ago that I pulled up to the courts one morning and saw Lyna,
then just 14 years old, giving Hayden a few tips on his strokes. It looked like Hayden
had never played before and I remember thinking how kind Lyna was to introduce
her younger brother to a sport that she had just found success in. When I saw them
playing and laughing together during the JTT league this summer, I couldn’t help
but again recognize the unique benefit of tennis, how it brings families together and
creates lasting memories.
In addition to family and team unity, parents, coaches and managers felt it was
really important to stress the importance of sportsmanship and positive attitudes in
the Whidbey Island league. Each week I asked the managers to nominate a player who
exhibited fair play, handled a difficult situation with poise and/or who encouraged
teammates on and off the court. When it came time to nominate a player, they couldn’t
single out a single one. After several requests for a nominee, one of the managers
finally said, “They all had good attitudes. I can’t just think of one who shined above
the others. They all shined!” It was a difficult decision but we did honor the following
four players with Outstanding Sportsmanship: Jessica Carey, Claire Hofius, Nathan
Shive and Kalie Stayskal.
In the end we ended up with four teams and a total of 31 players, 17 of whom were
related to at least one other player in the league. On the final day of the JTT Whidbey
Island League, I looked around the circle and did my best to adequately thank the
captains, players and parents. During the practices and matches that had occurred
over the summer, we all connected and became members of a larger family, our tennis
family. Tennis is indeed a sport for a lifetime and it is also an activity that family and
friends can do together. �