AMHERST, MA – When the Jr. Team Tennis season began a few months back, teams from northern Maine to southern Connecticut had a chance to earn a new title.
After the long season, four teams have earned the title "New England Champions" and will now represent the section in the USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Championships in October in Surprise, Arizona.
The New England Sectional Champions were crowned at UMass-Amherst and Hampshire College and when the proverbial dust settled, the winners were:
The Madraqcuets from Madison, CT. (14 intermediate); Shippan Stormers from Stamford, CT (14 advanced); Bloomfield Bobcats from Bloomfield, CT (18 intermediate) and BTA Cool Running of Hampton, NH (18 advanced).
Leaving it all – literally – on the court…
If an opponent happens to get the best of Morgan White during a match, it won’t be because of a lack of hustle.
White got to know athletic trainer Nicole Hammond very well during the USTA New England Jr. Team Tennis Section Championships.
Morgan White and his unique tennis trophy.
The two spent plenty of time chatting while Hammond treated White’s self-inflicted foot wound.
The 15-year-old who plays for the Old Saybrook 18 and under advanced team, has a habit of sliding across the court to get to a forehand. That slide produces enough friction over the course of a match or two to rip White’s sneaker, sock and skin.
"I’ve never seen anything quite like it in my time as a trainer," said Hammond, who works with the UMass lacrosse teams, among others. "He somehow manages to get his foot bloody and we have to keep wrapping it up."
Hustle is good for your game, but can be bad for your shoes.
White, who plays varsity tennis at Old Lyme High School in Connecticut, says he goes through a pair of shoes about every month.
"I’m not really sure why I do it," he said. "To me, it’s easier to get to a forehand with a slide, instead of taking small steps to the ball."
Luckily for White and for his family’s bank account, his uncle works for Nike, so getting new shoes to replace the ones he destroys on a regular basis isn't too heavy of an expense.
Talent hunt in Amherst…
While the JTT Section Championships is a popular event for players, families and coaches, it’s also been quite a find for a young coach charged with building a college tennis program.
John Losordo, the second-year head coach at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, got word of the Section Championships through e-mail communications with a player he is recruiting.
That player, Goffstown, N.H. resident Nathan Tascherreau, invited the coach to watch him play at UMass.
College coach John Losordo liked what he saw at the JTT Section Championships.
"I’m really impressed with the level of competition here," said Losordo, who made the drive from his home in Fitchburg, MA. "There are a lot of kids here who have the talent to play at the college level."
Losordo said the type of player he is looking for to help establish his program can be found in the JTT ranks.
"I’m looking for kids with a strong tennis background and kids who have a desire to play right away and improve each day," he said. "This is a great opportunity for me as a coach to watch players in singles and doubles, and to see kids from all over New England in one place."
What’s in a name…
The Bustoff team from New Hampshire is not only the best 18 advanced team in New England, it is also near the top of the standings in the nickname competition.
From left: Anthony Delpizzo, Kirsten Jean, Frank Delpizzo and Casey Geddes
The team dubbed itself "Cool Running," after the popular movie about the formation of the Jamaican bobsled team.
The Bustoff team made a mini-vacation of its time in western Massachusetts, finding time in a busy tennis schedule to challenge each other on a nearby mini-golf course.