Tennis Briefs(5): XGLOsive, TOM, TOC, JTT, L9, More Acronyms

Two XGLOsive Black-Light Night Tennis Events to Light Up Ocala

Tennis will light up the night when two consecutive XGLOsive Tennis events, part of the 2016 USTA Florida “Lights Out Tour,” visit Ocala in March.

Event Info:

March 11 — Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club, 7-10 p.m., 8300 Northwest 31st Lane Road
Register or more info at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/xglosive-lights-out-tour-golden-ocala-tickets-21494150583

March 12 — Fort King Municipal Tennis Center, 7-8 p.m., 3301 East Fort King Street
Register or more info at: www.eventbrite.com/e/xglosive-lights-out-tour-ft-king-tennis-center-tickets-21389610902?aff=es2

The black light glow-in-the-dark spectacular is for all ages, and is guaranteed to leave smiles on the face of adults and children alike.

“We are excited to host such a fun and invigorating new tennis concept,” said Golden Ocala organizer Thiroshan Chetty. “We feel that XGLOsive Tennis will bring a new energy to our members and community friends.”

Participants are provided with glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, and are encouraged to wear white or pastel-glow-colored clothing, wristbands, shoes or other accessories.

“After experiencing it at the USTA Florida Annual Meeting, we knew it was something our local players would enjoy,” says Fort King event organizer Leigh Chak. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to playing glow-in-the-dark tennis. We hope everyone in the Ocala area comes out.”

The events feature music, King of the Court games, skill games, special courts for youth players, and fast-paced fun for players, friends and entire teams.

“XGLOsive is the mix of tennis and a party,” says Jason Cordova, founder of XGLOsive LLC. “I love seeing the amazed look on everyone’s face when we flip on the black lights on the courts.”

For more upcoming Lights Out Tour dates, go to the Lights Out Tour website at www.USTAFlorida.com/LightsOut.

Former Pros Gigi Fernandez, Emilio Sanchez to Present at Tennis Owners & Managers Conference

Former pro tennis players Gigi Fernandez and Emilio Sanchez will be among the presenters at the 2016 Tennis Owners & Managers Conference in Miami, Fla., on March 23-25.

Fernandez will speak on how doubles can grow tennis businesses, and Sanchez will discuss how a high-performance junior tennis program may benefit tennis facilities.

Fernandez, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010, holds 17 Grand Slam doubles titles and is considered one of the sport’s best doubles players of all time. Sanchez was a former world No. 1-ranked doubles and No. 7-ranked singles player who won doubles titles at the French and US Opens, and he develops juniors at Academia Sanchez-Casal in Barcelona, Spain and in Naples, Fla.

The third annual T.O.M. Conference, which is presented by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), will bring together leading experts in facility management, programming and other key areas to provide vital information to grow tennis businesses and bring in more tennis players. The event will take place at the Hilton Miami Downtown, during the 2016 Miami Open pro tennis tournament.

To register or for more info visit www.TheTOMConference.com.

2 Fun Play Events to Kick Off Spring Junior Team Tennis League in Orlando Area

USTA Florida is hosting two team-up events, an introduction to Junior Team Tennis, in the Orlando area on Feb. 28 and Mar. 5, 2016, at the Lake Cane Tennis Center and Red Bug Lake Park, for the upcoming spring Junior Team Tennis League.

The events welcome kids ages 6-18 years of all skills levels promoting fun play where kids can meet other players, organizers from facilities across the region, and join a team. The events are family friendly, and the first 25 to register and attend will receive a free gift.

Seminole Team-Up Event — Feb 28, 2016, 1-3 p.m., 3600 Red Bug Lake Road, Casselberry. For more info or to register click here.

Orlando Team-Up Event — March 5, 2016, 10 a.m.-noon, 5100 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando. For more info or to register click here.

Junior Team Tennis leagues have kids playing on compatible teams of similar age and ability, with new formats introduced in 2016 for greater flexibility and more fun. Orlando started late last year as the pilot program with more than 127 participants in the region, and is expected to grow in 2016.

“We are excited to start this new season after the success we had last year,” said USTA Florida Tennis Program Coordinator Shelly Licorish. “We had an amazing response from this community and more kids are ready to get involved.”

Younger participants will receive credits and ranking points applied to the 10 and Under Youth Tennis Tournament Pathway in Florida.

To find out more information about Junior Team Tennis, levels of play and details, visit www.ustaflorida.com/JTT. Additional information is also available at the USTA national JTT page at www.usta.com/JTT.

Flagler County Junior Team Tennis Leagues Starting Soon, Registration Open

The Flagler County Junior Team Tennis league is starting its first season of the year on Feb. 19, 2016, and will run until the April 8. Registration is now open, and parents can sign-up their children to play until Feb. 26.

The league will feature divisions for boys and girls ages 6-14 at all skill levels.

Junior Team Tennis leagues have kids playing on compatible teams of similar age and ability, with new formats introduced in 2016 for greater flexibility and more fun. Younger participants will receive credits and ranking points applied to the 10 and Under Youth Tennis Tournament Pathway in Florida.

“It is exciting to start a new Junior Team Tennis season in Flagler County,” said USTA Florida Tennis Program Coordinator Molly Zimmer. “Junior Team Tennis is an amazing way for kids to have fun with their friends, spend time together, and enjoy the excitement of competition.”

To register for the league visit http://freeteams.com/FlaglerAces. To find out more information about Junior Team Tennis, levels of play and details, visit www.ustaflorida.com/JTT.

Entry-Level Tennis L9 Events for Florida Youth Receiving Raves

The TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla., hosted an L9 event, which has replaced the ROGY-level events, ushering new young 10-and-under players into tennis match play, but without the pressure of winning or losing.

“These L9s, formerly called ROGY events, are great because they provide the opportunity for tournament directors to be creative with their formats, like this event,” said USTA Florida Entry-Level Tournament Coordinator Thad Hawkes. “Utilizing modified courts and equipment, events like these provide the opportunity for beginner players to have more fun.”

Becky Timmis was a grandmother from Georgia who came down to watch her grandchildren Jacob and Noah compete in the Florida event.

“[I] so wish the tournament directors in Georgia would tackle this,” Timmis said of the L9 format. “Florida has done a great job with dividing up the different levels for 10 and under. Jacob and Noah had a great time and they said nothing about winning or losing. They had a wonderful experience start to finish, and all the kids who played seemed very nice, as did their parents.”

Tournament Director Joe D’Aleo said the parents were so well-behaved that he presented the Sportsmanship Award to one of the parents.

“I loved the encouraging words to all of [the participants] in the beginning and end,” said Timmis to D’Aleo. “This was Jacob and Noah’s first experience with any type of tournament. Jacob turned 9 a week ago and Noah turned 7 two weeks ago. They want to do baseball, soccer and basketball so I have just tried to get them out when they ask to have fun with it. My love for the game is strong as it goes back to my grandfather, but I so realize how it’s not about ‘your own love of the game’ but their enjoyment.”

For more information on L9 events and the USTA Florida 10 and Under Youth Tennis Tournament Pathway go to www.ustaflorida.com/youthtennis/junior-tournaments/10-and-under-youth-tennis-tournament-pathway.

UF Perfect 5-0 on Season After Delray Beach ‘Tennis on Campus’ Win

The dominant University of Florida team won its fifth USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ title in its fifth appearance last weekend at the Delray Beach Open Challenge, which was held in conjunction with the ATP Delray Beach Open. In the Gold Bracket final the UF-“A” team defeated the University of Miami-“A” team.

“This past weekend gave so many students the opportunity to see professional players for the first time, play on clay, and just have a good time with their fellow teammates,” said USTA Florida Tennis on Campus Coordinator Desirae McLaughlin. “I would love for the Delray Open to be a springboard for other professional events around the country to incorporate the Tennis on Campus program into their events.”

UM fell to 2-4 in finals on the season, with both of their titles won in events where UF was not participating, and all four of their losses in finals coming at the hands of UF.

In the Silver Bracket final the University of Central Florida-“C” team defeated the UF-“C” team.

Other schools participating were Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida State University and Florida Atlantic University.

The next event on the 2015-16 Tennis on Campus calendar will be the Florida season-ending Tennis on Campus Section Championships in Altamonte Springs on Feb. 27-28.

2015-16 USTA Florida Tennis on Campus Tournament Schedule:

Sept. 19-20 — UF Gatorbowl, Gainesville (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Oct. 3-4 — FAMU/FSU Battle in the Capital, Tallahassee (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Oct. 24-25 — USF Bull Run, Tampa (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Nov. 7-8 — UT Spartan Challenge, Tampa (FINAL: UM d. USF)
Nov. 21-22 — Knightro Cup, Orlando (Rained Out)
Jan. 23-24 — UM Ibis Open, Coral Gables (FINAL: UF d. UCF)
Jan. 30-31 — FGCU Dirty Bird Classic, Ft. Myers (FINAL: UM d. UCF)
Feb. 13-14 — Delray Beach Campus Challenge (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Feb. 27-28 — USTA Florida Tennis on Campus Section Championships, Altamonte Springs
April 14-16 — USTA Tennis on Campus National Championship, Cary, N.C.

About USTA Tennis On Campus
The USTA Tennis on Campus program is designed to provide college students with opportunities for team camaraderie, social networking, and rivaled competition through tennis without the rigors or time commitment of NCAA varsity play. Tennis on Campus offers fun co-ed team-based play (using the World TeamTennis scoring format), regional and national championship competition, and helps students maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years. Currently the program is offered on more than 500 college campuses, combining men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles, with a minimum of two men and two women per team.

For more information on the USTA Florida Tennis on Campus series or to start a team at your school go to www.USTAFlorida.com/TennisOnCampus or contact Desirae McLaughlin at tennisoncampusflorida@gmail.com.