Six teams were named USTA Southern Section Jr. Team Tennis Champions today at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. The Section Champions in the 14 and under Intermediate and Advanced division will travel to Tuscon, AZ, October 11-14, 2007 to compete in the National Championships. The National Championships for the 18 under Intermediate and Advanced divisions will be held in Tuscon, AZ, October 26-28, 2007.

See just how close our teams came to more championships

This year's event drew the top teams from throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The teams, which represent various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, have finished at the top of their local leagues and are now vying for a chance to represent the USTA Southern Section at the USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Championships.
The USTA Southern Section highlighted two South Carolina teams on www.southernjuniorteamtennis.com. The Wildewood Crush and the Aiken Terminators both were profiled as great examples of Junior Team Tennis.
Matches were played at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, AL which was the official headquarters for the USTA Southern Section Jr. Team Championships. Team rosters consisted of at least 3 girls and 3 boys who competed in Boy's and Girl's Singles, Boy's and Girl's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
USTA Jr. Team Tennis is a multi-week program of team practice and match play for boys and girls, ages 6 to 18, who want to play tennis on teams. Teams are comprised of players of similar age and skill, and they compete against other teams from the same geographic region in one of four league divisions: 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under or 18 & under. Parents serve as organizers, team coaches and captains and are vital to the success of the program.
In non-elimination round robin draws, two groups of five teams competed in round robin play with the winner of each group advancing to the finals based on total games won.
USTA Jr. Team Tennis is team tennis concept that emphasizes fun, fitness, and friends. Competitions are held for intermediate and advanced players in three age divisions: 12 and under, 14 and under and 18 and under. Players in all three divisions have opportunity to advance to section competition and players in the 14 and under division and 18 and under may qualify for the National Championships.
The Championships introduce young players to competition in which competitive stress is minimized and competitive learning opportunities are maximized. The Championship Events are also designed to: (1) provide a competitive opportunity for maximizing each player's physical and emotional development, (2) promote the spirit of competition and camaraderie which will enhance and strengthen a player's self-esteem (3) provide a national competition climate that focuses more on personal development and less on competitive outcomes.

Read the "epic" poem of the Greenville 14s Advanced team's saga as they journied to the championships. One Game Away

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