MOBILE, Ala. – Thanks to some hard work over the summer, a group of Maine teenagers is about to cash in on an extra school vacation they earned in August.
The Maine Pines 14 and Under Advanced team will represent New England in the Jr. Team Tennis National Championships Oct. 23-25 at the Mobile Tennis Center.
Maine Pines, coached by USTA-certified High Performance Coach Luke Korzekwa, didn’t drop a set in the Sectional Championships in Springfield, Mass. and is hoping to keep the momentum going down south.
Of course, being from Maine, the team will have to clear one major hurdle before the first serve is struck in Alabama.
"I think we’ll need to take some time to adjust to playing outside again," Korzekwa said. "Because of the weather up here, we’ve already been practicing indoors for over a month."
This will be Korzekwa’s second trip to Nationals. Last year, he took his 18 and Under Advanced team to Mobile.
"It’s a fantastic event and the level of competition is very strong," said Korzweka, a 28-year-old native of Poland who has been in the United States for seven years. "The best thing for us is that with teams reaching Nationals, it helps to bring recognition to our JTT program, and I think that will help it grow."
Korzekwa, along with USTA New England Community Relations Manager Eric Driscoll, has coordinated one of the most thriving JTT programs in New England, with more than 100 kids participating.
The Maine Pines roster includes Tyler Adams, Cam Chapman, Victoria Booth, Justin Brogan, Jordan Friedland, Mercedes Hammond, Margaret Silverman, and Emma Limburg.
Korzekwa has been running Jr. Team Tennis for three years. He is the director of the Maine Pines Tennis Academy.
"When we went to Nationals last year with the 18s it was great," Korzekwa said. "We brought 13 players with us and went down to have fun and see what the experience was all about. I think this year, we’re going to compete hard and see how well we can do. It’s a talented group of kids and they work hard, so I expect to do well."