In 2022-2023, a Task Force of the Board of the NWTO completed a 10-question survey of 16 of the 17 Sections of the USTA (all but the Caribbean). The newsletter will be publishing the results of the survey, one question at a time. Learn more about this initiative here.

QUESTION 2: What age-level tournaments are held in your Section for women? Are they “open” or NTRP rating tournaments? Does your Section sponsor any “Closed Section Championships” for women?

Florida: Florida Senior Women Tournaments with “Gold Ball” NTRP local monthly tournaments, then regionals with winners of each level advancing to Nationals:

1. Jan. Level 2, PGA, West Palm Beach

2. Feb. Level 2, Barbara Cooper Cup, Fort Lauderdale  

3. Feb. Level 1, PGA, West Palm Beach

4. April Level 3, Barbara Cooper Cup, Fort Lauderdale

5. Nov.Intersectional (every other year)

6. Dec. Level 1, Women's & Men's 30's, Fort Lauderdale

Yes, The State has closed section championships for women and men.

Midwest: There are very few age-level tournaments in the Midwest for women. They are almost exclusively NTRP and poorly participated in. There are no Closed Section Championships for women. The only way an age-level tournament (3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 6’s or unsanctioned) will take place is if there is a tournament director of a club inventing it.

Intermountain: Of the 140 tournaments held, 51 have age-based categories and 33 have women’s brackets. The NTRP brackets are more popular than the age-based brackets. The age-based brackets attract higher level players. There are no closed Section tournaments for women.  

Eastern: We used to have a wonderful summer circuit. Multiple country clubs would donate facilities and local pros and umpires would run the events. We also had successful National Grass Courts at Westside Tennis Club since the1970's. 9/11 caused the numbers to drop significantly. They added age groups, increased prize money, and used sponsorship. They feel that corporate Sponsorships are the way to reboot tourneys. However, there are very few tournaments, level-based, short weekend-long events.

Pacific Northwest: We have a Level 3 tourney in January at Central Park Tennis Club.  It hosts 35,45, 55s men and women. Also a Level 2 in Seattle at Seattle Tennis Club last week in July/beginning of August. It has open division and age groups, 35s and up, men and women. There is a small tourney after Christmas at Boeing Tennis Club. Portland also has a tournament in July. There are many junior journeys.

Southern California: The section offers open and NTRP tournaments. The tournament directors have autonomy to put in age divisions - decisions are largely made on past and current sign-ups. (Note: For several years the turnout for age-based draws for women has not been adequate. In my experience, the directors have made great efforts to combine or do round robins to make them work for those players who signed up for those events. The Section does support the Level 1-3 national tournaments held in the area if needed with volunteers or oversight support (Wilson, La Jolla, etc.) The Section does run closed Sectional Championships for women several times a year. SoCal facilitated the NTRP Nationals that was held in the Section.

Texas:

• Texas Adult Sectionals (Level 4 Closed) does not have Senior age divisions (women or men)

• The Texas Masters (Level 4 Closed) does not have Senior age divisions (women or men)

• Texas Super Senior Championships (Level 3 Open) 55+ Senior age divisions (women and men)

• Westwood (Level 2 Open) 35 through 65 Senior Age divisions (women and men)

• HTA/RBC Wealth Management Houston Open (Level 4 Open) Senior and Super Senior Age Divisions

• Level 1: National Senior Women's Clay Court Championships 35+ (odds) Senior age divisions (women)

• Many tournaments offer age-division play (but participation is low)

Southern: Southern Section holds both open and NTRP tournaments. The NTRP tournaments are supported more than age division tournaments by the women, while the men support both open and NTRP events. Southern hosts three Closed Section Championships: Indoor, Clay, and Hard. Southern also hosts quite a few Level I and 2 national events that include women. National Level 2 NWTO Championships, National Level 2 Bocage Clay courts (men and women), National Level 2 Asheville Open Tennis Championships, National Level I Indoors, and Seabrook Level I Mixed Doubles are all held in the Southern Section.

New England: All age levels. Most are open and they increased the number of NTRP tournaments for this year.  A few new tournament directors are opening up NTRP tournaments. They are not sponsoring closed section championships, but would like to. Only players within New England are selected and can play for the tourney.

Northern California: There are no closed section championships for women. Age Group - There are two National L3s - Marin Championships and Pacific Coast Seniors. A new event this fall will be the NorCal Hardcourts with sites for different age groups in Sunnyvale and San Francisco. There are many NTRP tournaments. 39 x Level 7, 8 x L6. There are five L4 Adult Opens.

Southwest: Matt Gleason holds the Fiesta Bowl in December in Phoenix, which is a women's age­-based tournament. He does not feel that it is well attended. Matt is a huge supporter of the national Intersectionals, which he ran in November 2022 in Ft. Lauderdale and has run when it is held in Phoenix since 2018. There are several NTRP and Open tournaments in the Section all year long. There are no "Closed Section Championships". Matt had never heard of them.

Middle States: Run leagues, adult tournaments and NTRP Tournaments.

Northern: No closed tournaments; 55+ NTRP, 40+ NTRP, 50-70 Age Open, 35-55 Age Open.

Hawaii: In their section, player interest is by far in league tennis. Age-level tournaments are held only on the island of Oahu. Currently, there are 4 events offered each year in ages 30-80 in 5-year increments and an open division. Player participation is low. They do not sponsor any Closed tournaments. 

MidAtlantic: 

• No closed sectional to draw more players. All open. Sections: Levels 4-7 Open

• Age division NTRP events (18, 40, 55 NTRP divisions) plus Open.

• Or Age division events (35, 45, 55, 65, etc.) plus Open

• Always offer both – women may suffer from viability. 

• “Unsanctioned” – does not have to adhere to USTA regulations

Missouri Valley: St. Louis does have women-specific tournaments. Kansas City has one tournament which is age-level 35, 45, 55, etc., which is a Level 4 tournament, and hopes to have a second one next year. The NTRP tournaments of course have age levels for competition at 18, 40, 55. There are no Closed Section Tournaments, and Scott is not familiar with what that would be.

After reading the above, do you have any recommendations or suggestions on how Adult Competition is best handled?  Please provide your feedback to Info @NWTO.us. We encourage you to reach out to your Section contacts with concerns or feedback:

Eastern – Lynn Buffamonti  buffamonti@eastern.usta.com
Florida – Christine Ducey  ducey@ustaflorida.com
Hawaii – Sara Yoshinaga  yoshinaga@hawaii.usta.com
Intermountain – Monica Haller-Bradley  mhaller@ita.usta.com
Mid-Atlantic – Rachel Kros  kros@mas.usta.com
Middle States – Mary Wurtz  Wurtz@ms.usta.com
Midwest – Toby Gaynor  toby@midwest.usta.com
Missouri Valley – Scott Howes  howes@movalley.usta.com
New England – Shawna Fors   shawna.fors@newengland.usta.com
Northern – Taylor Heltne  taylor@northern.usta.com
Northern California – Joanna Broda-Schnuk jbroda-schunck@norcal.usta.com
Pacific Northwest – Matthew Warren  mwarren@pnw.usta.com
Southern – Milagros Sequera Huss  sequera@sta.usta.com
Southern California – Anthony Shirley    ashirley@scta.usta.com
Southwest – Matt Gleason  gleason@southwest.usta.com
Texas – Veronica Nicholls  nicholls@texas.usta.com
Caribbean – Angela Vargas  adults@cta.usta.com

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