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TENNIS PROGRAM AND EVENT DESCRIPTION Description of Program The University Club Junior Program The junior program at The University Club is focused on all levels of players and future players. The program includes clinics, private lessons, special events, camps, match play and tournament play with out of town travel supervised by our professional staff. Ten club juniors qualified for Southern Closed tournaments in June of 2009 which put them in the top 15 in the state of Tennessee in their age divisions. Many players have achieved national rankings. Our program includes many top players but it all starts at the beginning level where The University Club has focused for many years. We run programs and clinics throughout the year for a large number of new players with many different goals. Our emphasis has been to design a program that includes children at all levels and gives them the a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime. We have numerous adult players at the club who learned tennis here and have continued to enjoy tennis later in life. Tennis is a competitive and a recreational sport at our club. Indoor Court Time Tennis courts are available in the indoor tennis center throughout the year. Courts can be purchased on a contract or non-contract basis. Contracting for court time allows a lower price and guarantees court space throughout the season but courts are still available for purchase week to week. Spring and summer contract seasons run for eleven weeks; fall and winter seasons run for fifteen weeks. Indoor Leagues Many different leagues are run in the indoor building. Ability levels in these leagues range from beginner to past club champions. Our staff contributes to the success of these leagues by recruiting players, creating the pairings and actively promoting all levels. Game-finding The University Club is well known for its game-finding service. This service is available to all members interested in playing tennis, handball, racquetball, and/or squash. The staff's job is to make it easier for the membership to use the athletic facilities. Members who take advantage of this service help us create a card of interested players. Game-finding is done on a daily basis and is considered top priority at The University Club. USA Team Tennis USA Team Tennis is an active nationwide network of leagues for all ages and ability levels. The University Club is committed to an active involvement in these leagues and has used them to build its adult program. We have been the most active USA tennis club in the state for over a decade. From beginning to top level players club members have won numerous city and state championships. Not only has team tennis increased play at the club but it has also created an avenue for players to establish long-lasting friendships with other club members. Description of Events University Club Championship NTRP Level Tournaments The Rated Championship tournaments are held just before the Open Championship events. Tournaments are held in men's 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 levels and ladies 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 levels. Finalists from men's 4.0, ladies 3.5 and the winners of men's 3.5, men's 3.0, ladies 3.0 and ladies 2.5 advance into the main draws of the Open Championships where the top twelve ranked men and women from the club await. Their first round will be against the 9-12 seeds from the Open Draws. This format allows all members to compete at their own level and then have a shot at the club's best players if they win their division.
The University Club Championship Tournaments Club Championship Tournaments are special events at The University Club. Match schedules are posted around the club prior to the tournament, e-mails keep the membership up to date throughout and member interest in the events is very high. Semi-finals are generally held on Friday nights and spectator attendance has been tremendous. Finals matches are officiated and have been a terrific event for the club. Tournament winners are immortalized in gold leaf on our champion's boards in the indoor tennis center. Mugs Tournaments These tournaments in the past have included approximately 75-100 men and 45-55 women in the singles and doubles tournaments. These are handicapped tournaments that run throughout the summer and include players up to the 4.0 levels. The men's tournaments have been running since 1940 (that we know of) and the ladies tournaments have been running since 1992. These tournaments are our most popular tennis events and are aimed at the ordinary tennis player. Tournament winners are listed in gold leaf on our champion's boards. Holiday Mixed Doubles The holiday mixed doubles events, held on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day are once again events directed towards everyone. Our groups in the past have been split in up to seven different ability levels that have ranged from beginners to advanced players. The University Club has a barbecue dinner set up after the tournaments for social interaction and camaraderie. Summer Friday Night Tennis Friday night mixed tennis at the club is an excellent summer event. Beginning in late May it is available for six Friday nights until the outdoor club championships are held in July. We normally have 100 to 125 players' sign up and average 50-60 players per week. A match may be singles or doubles, mixed or all ladies or all men, and will consist of two sets and a tiebreaker at the end. The only commitment is to let us know you can or cannot participate by Wednesday of each week. The University Club Junior Open The Junior Open is a USTA sanctioned junior tournament that has become the top junior tournament in the area. The Junior Open was the Tennessee Tennis Association tournament of the year in 1996 and has included as many as 240 junior players from eight states. Thirty-eight of our juniors participated in this tournament in 2001. The parents of our junior players have been invaluable in providing volunteer help. This tournament is unique in that it provides participants with a gift bag, snacks, dinner, monitors on every court, continental breakfasts, a tee shirt and internet results. The University Club/Memphis Country Club Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is an event where a singles player, a doubles team and a mixed doubles team represent each level. Team scores are kept adding a point for every match won. The University Club won the Challenge Cup in 2001 for the fourth time in five years. |
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