Lee Junior Team Tennis Underway
FGCU Hosts Lee County’s Inaugural JTT Regional Championships
It has taken almost two decades, but USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT) has arrived in Lee County. On June 6, 2007 the Lee County Community Tennis Association (LCCTA) kicked off its inaugural season of JTT with 10 teams, 83 kids, and five locations. The six-week season culminated July 14 at Florida Gulf Coast University with approximately 65 kids participating in the JTT Regional Championship event.
From Ralleyball to Junior Team Tennis
Many of the kids who participated during the season and played at the JTT Regional Championships learned the game in the LCCTA’s ralleyball program. In discussing the link between JTT and ralleyball, Glenn Kouns of Three Oaks Park, a coach for the program and an Area Tennis Director for Region 4, stated, “It’s a natural progression from ralleyball into the junior team tennis program.”
Ralleyball is the United States Tennis Association's and LCCTA’s fun way of introducing tennis to beginners, and the kids enjoyed their ralleyball experience. But after getting a taste of JTT, according to Katie Barham, Area League Coordinator for JTT, “Kids who had only done ralleyball now only want to play team tennis.”
Junior Team Tennis Improves Game
The more advanced players also took to the new game in town. As a teaching professional, Kouns was happy to note the developmental value of JTT for the adolescents. “It was great! A lot of times kids of that middle school age don’t have the opportunity to play other kids throughout the county. And not only do they enjoy that aspect of it, but it makes them better.”
Kids Hooked on Competition
John Ziegler, a self-proclaimed tennis fanatic who coached his seven-year-old son’s Mid Cape beginner team, gave an enthusiastic endorsement to the program’s first year: “My son Ian had a great time. He enjoyed playing with different players, he got to play doubles for the first time, and everybody was really friendly. It was just a good time.” According to Ziegler, his son now wants to play every day.
JTT Great for Parents too
Parents seem to have benefited almost as much as the kids from JTT in general and from the culminating event in particular. Barham commented on the new relationships that both parents and kids seemed to be developing during the Championships. “It was pretty neat to see…parents interacting and making arrangements to get together with their kids to play in the future.”
Room for Improvement
As with any first effort, there are opportunities to improve. Parent and team captain at Rutenberg Park, John Klingerman, also felt that JTT was a success. He exclaimed, “I enjoyed it tremendously. I had a blast! I’ll do it again.” Yet he identified a need for a stronger commitment from some team captains, and ironing out some kinks in the online reporting system as areas that could use some enhancement next season.
Inaugural Season a Success
All in all, the LCCTA’s inaugural Junior Team Tennis effort was a commendable one, particularly if keeping kids engaged is used as the benchmark. Regarding the Championship event, Tournament Director and Area Tennis Director for Regions 2 & 3, Andrea Neslon, proclaimed, “The kids had fantastic time. The downside was that they wanted keep going but the adults had gotten enough of the heat after a few hours. We practically had to force the kids off the court when it was time to go.” If that is the biggest problem faced by Lee County’s Junior Team Tennis program. I’m sure it’s one the LCCTA will be happy to embrace.
LCCTA Ralleyball & JTT Sign-up
Parents can come out to Rutenberg Park on August 25 to sign their youngsters up for ralleyball and Junior Team Tennis. They can also sign up to become coaches or captains, and contribute to the JTT momentum that began to build when the first ball was struck back in June.
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