Dee Bittner's and Bricey Pitt’s 12 and under team from Greenville achieved local tennis history last weekend in Lexington County. The team became the first Greenville Junior Team Tennis squad to win a USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championship.
On Tuesday, Bittner, whose 12-year-old daughter, Brooke, played on the winning team, talked with USTA South Carolina about the weekend, what she likes about Junior Team Tennis and what’s next for the “Raging Racquets.”
USTA SC: What’s your favorite part about Junior Team Tennis?
Bittner: We like the experience of kids getting to cheer for each other and rally behind a player to really help inspire the kids when they’re in the tough parts of the match. And the opportunity to play mixed doubles is really a lot of fun.
USTA SC: How did your children – Brooke and Allie, 9 – get into tennis?
Bittner: It’s a family sport. We all play. And my co-captain, Bricey, has four kids who all play tennis!
USTA SC: What do you like about being a JTT coach?
Bittner: What I like about being a coach is helping to instill confidence in the kids and making them believe that they really can win the match for their team.
There is no JTT national championship for the 12-and-under division. But next year, the “Raging Racquets” plan to play in the 14-and-under division and hope to make it to the USTA JTT National Championships.
This year, the JTT National Championships for 14-and-under players and 18-and-under players will be held in Lexington County in October.