MCTA - Your Match in Montgomery County, MD
Founded in 1996 to promote tennis in our area, MCTA has grown to just over 6,000 league players and is now the largest USTA Community Tennis Association in Maryland. MCTA welcomes players of all ages and skill levels for league play; to participate in a variety of annual tennis tournaments; or to volunteer for, or participate in a number of community outreach tennis programs.
Right on the Mark! Follow veteran league Captain Mark Wallendjack's observations and comments about being a successful league captain.
Interested in volunteering with the Montgomery Co. Tennis Association?
Send us an e-mail describing your interests and availability and we'll see what we can work out! Volunteer Today!
Not Too Early to Start Thinking About Spring Leagues
Hard to believe, but it's already time to start thinking about organizing for our Spring Adult League season. Our on-line Store will open February 27th for captains to begin registering teams for Men's and Women's Adult League competition and will remain open through March 26th. Schedules will then be produced allowing for a seamless transtion from Winter season to Spring season with match play beginning the week of April 16th. Check our calendar for other important dates.
National Announces League Structure Realignment for 2013
USTA has announced a realignment of League programs for national championships effective in 2013. Under the realignment, there will be only two Divisions -- "Adult" and "Mixed." Adult Division will be sub-divided into three separate age-related categories: 18&over, 40&over, and 55&over, thus absorbing the current "Senior" and "Super Senior" categories. Mixed Division remains unchanged as 18&over. Read the full story. USTA believes this realignment will provide more competitive play opportunities for more players. Note that how best to serve Adult players age 70 and over, as well as Mixed players age 40 and over, and age 55 and over, has not been decided yet.
The realignment decision grew out of a USTA Task Force assigned to study all options. All current league participants were invited to respond to a Task Force questionnaire with their input, and nearly 25,000 respondents did so! The new age-bracketed categories are expected to produce more competitive play within each bracket, and also to increase participation in USTA League Tennis by an estimated 16%, with the most dramatic increases occurring in the higher-age brackets. The new brackets also will expand opportunities for singles play for men and women age 40-55.
Send your questions about league realignment to leaguesrealignment@mctatennis.org and we'll try to get you answers!
2012 USTA League Rules
Approved 2012 National League Regulations, 2012 Mid-Atlantic Section League Rules, 2012 Maryland District League Rules, and 2012 MCTA Unified League rules are now posted on the website and available for review. A one-page summary of major changes in the local rules also is available. Note the MCTA Unified Rules were revised January 6th to clarify the process by which a match winner is determined when time expires prior to natural completion of the match. Click here for easy-to-read Chart and Procedures to be followed when a "sudden death point" is required! You can find all sets of rules under "Leagues" on the main navigation bar, then "Tennis Resources."
Heat Up the Courts
A holiday tennis tournament event for seniors -- the HOTTIES Challenge -- was held Saturday, December 10, at Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club in Gaithersburg. Trophies, gifts, raffle, and holiday food and drink were all part of the evening's fun.
MCTA Kicks off 1st 10AndUnderTennis league. We're "on the bus"! 8 JTT 10-under Intermediate and Advanced teams joined together to create our first MCTA 10 and Under League. Only two weeks in and following on the highly successful 10AndUnderTennis Play Days in MoCo, so far it's been a big hit. And this is only the beginning...
First Lady On Board for Tennis; MCTA Makes 10-and-under Tennis A Priority
First Lady Michelle Obama and her "Let's Move" campaign endorse tennis as way for children to practice an active lifestyle. See the video. MCTA has made 10-and-under tennis using the Quickstart format a strategic priority for the next several years and intends to play a role in bringing tennis to thousands of children in schools, after-school programs, play dates, and tournament settings.
Bethesda Youth Recognized for Role in Special Olympics
Thanks to young mentors/coaches like Scott Gerson, a 14 year-old Bethesda Chevy Chase (BCC) High School freshman, youth from both Montgomery County Special Olympics and MCTA are connecting using a more personal communication tool – a tennis racket! Read the full story
