By Trish Dipalo, USTA Florida local league coordinator

Collier Leads with New Sportsmanship Program

Tennis is a game built on sportsmanship, and nothing makes this more apparent that having to call your own lines and keep your own score. These elements are the epitome of fairness, and they lie at the heart of the game — and at the very soul of USTA League play.

Collier County has been doing its best to inspire fair play and sportsmanship for the last couple of years, and we feel we will finally achieve this with our new “Good Sportsmanship Together” #ConsiderateTennis program.

I feel the adults have an obligation to all the leagues to promote good sportsmanship and set an example for the juniors as well as younger adults. The purpose of this program is to educate and inspire a high degree of sportsmanship and an attitude of fair play and mutual respect on and off the tennis court. Our thought process should be that fairness is more important than winning.

I believe strongly in the importance of good sportsmanship and making tennis more enjoyable for all. This is not just one person’s responsibility but the responsibility of Collier County as a whole, including players, coaches, and captains who should encourage good sportsmanship by their own examples.

For more info contact me at www.ustaflorida.com/contacts/trish-dipalo.

Collier Women Making a Name at Sectionals

Our local women made a splash at Florida sectionals this year.

The Collier women’s Adult 55 & Over 3.5 team advanced to the 2017 USTA League National Championships in November at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. At the Florida sectional championships the team went undefeated 6-0.

The Collier women’s team was captained by Susanne Navarro with a roster of Barbara Simmons, Biqin Teng, Claudia Hammon, Glenna Haas, Jacqui Privitere, Julie Oberweis, Laurie Hilburg, Linda Boyd, Michelle Maggal, Michelle Thomas, and Sandy Wilkison.

The Hunters Ridge Adult 65 & Over 8.0 women’s team also won USTA Florida Sectionals and will advance to the Adult 65 & Over Invitational in January 2018 in Surprise, Ariz.

The team is captained by Rosemary Black with a roster including Ann Soper, Barbara Burke, Barbara Bertman, Carol Dugan, Colleen Burns Keenan, Holly Hearity, Jane Spidel, Jennie Bradford, Joan Baker, and Peggy Reynolds.

USTA Local League Champions Advance

Congratulations to the following teams that won our local league and went off to represent Collier County at the new USTA National Campus in Lake Nona.

In the Adult 40 & Over at USTA Florida Sectionals this past July the 3.0 women’s team out of The Strand, captained by Natalia Harding, made it to the semifinals for a nice run, and the 3.5 women’s team out of Marco Racket, captained by Andrea Washak, also made a run to the semifinals.

The 55 & Over 3.5 men, captained by Denmark Rushing out of Cambier, made it to the finals. The 4.0 men out of The Strand, captained by Tom Eggleston, made a run to the semifinals, and the 65 & Over 7.0 women captained by Barbara Hughes from World Tennis Center made a run to the finals.

Congratulations to all of our other teams that advanced to USTA Florida Sectionals:

*  18 & Over 3.0 women of Naples Bay Resort captained by Mia Delk
*  18 & Over 3.5 women of Heritage Bay captained by Corey Stranger
*  18 & Over 4.0 women of Heritage Bay captained by Carole Flegel
*  18 & Over 4.5 women of Naples Bay Resort captained by Ann Campisi
*  18 & over 3.5 men of Heritage Bay captained by Don McWaters
*  18 & Over 4.0 men of Quail Creek captained by Don McWaters
*  40 & Over 4.0 women of Quail Creek captained by Terry Dirr
*  40 & Over 4.5 men of World Tennis Center captained by Gerd Franke
*  Mixed 40 & Over 7.0 team out of Heritage Bay captained by Natalia Harding
*  Mixed 40 & Over 8.0 team out of Marco YMCA captained by Andrea Washak
*  55 & Over 3.0 women of Marco YMCA captained by Jodi Schaufus
*  55 & Over Mustangs out of Players Club captained by Judi Dyer
*  55 & Over 3.5 women from Lighthouse Bay captained by Linda White
*  55 & Over 4.0 women of Naples Bay Resort captained by Ricki Levine
*  55 & Over 4.0 women out of Naples Grande captained by Patty Silverstein
*  65 & Over 6.0 women out of Pelican Marsh captained by Linda Mushock
*  65 & Over 7.0 men out of Pelican Marsh captained by Bob Steuerer
*  65 & Over 7.0 women out of Island Walk captained by Sue Schmidt
*  65 & Over 4.0 men out of Lighthouse Bay captained by Ron Mishko

Thank you to all the teams who participated in Collier USTA League in 2017, we are looking forward to a great 2018 league season. To sign-up for 2018 leagues or for more info go to www.ustaflorida.com/contacts/trish-dipalo.