BEGAN PLAYING TENNIS JULY 24
Birmingham, AL–July 24, 2010 – More than 1,800 tennis players are expected to take part in the 2010 USTA League Southern Section Championships, which are being conducted on July 24 – August 1 at 11 tennis facilities in and around Birmingham, Ala.
This year’s event has drawn the top tennis 200 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 at the 2010 USTA League National Championships.
The annual tournament is considered the world’s largest based on the number of tennis players participating.
Matches will be played at Altadena Country Club, Birmingham Southern College, East Lake Park, George Ward Park, Highland Racquet Club, West Homewood Park, Hoover Country Club, James Lewis Tennis Center, Lakeshore Foundation Tennis Center, Riverchase Country Club and YMCA Mountain Brook. G. William Noble Athletic Complex in Gardendale is also being used as a practice facility. The Sheraton Birmingham Hotel is the official Tournament headquarters.
Tournament Chairman Dodie Hanchett said, “This is our second year in Birmingham and we know we’ll have the same success that we had in our championship tournament last year. With eight days of competitive and fun tennis, Birmingham will again be a great host city.”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the USTA League Tennis. Established in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 625,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis program.
The USTA League Tennis was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 Sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.5 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older. It features Adult and Mixed Doubles divisions, as well as a Senior Division (age 50) and a Super Senior Division (age 60).
Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 23st year as official ball of USTA League.
For more information about USTA League Tennis program or the USTA as a whole, visit www.usta.com.
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with 720,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It is divided into 17 sections, of which the USTA Southern is the largest. The 177,000+ USTA members living in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee make up the USTA Southern, and account for approximately 25% of the total USTA membership. The section also owns the Atlanta Tennis Championships, played in Johns Creek, Ga. A professional staff housed in Norcross, GA carries out the USTA Southern’s daily operations, but policy is formed and much of the organization’s work is executed via a Board and committee structure of over 200 volunteers. For more information about the types of programs and services offered by the USTA Southern visit www.southerntennis.com.
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Media Contact:
Ron Cioffi, USTA Southern
770-368-8200 x112
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