“You can’t ask for a better experience!” Mark Fairchilds stated, coach of the Laguna Creek Racquet Club Coed 18U Intermediate team. The proud coach reflected on his experience at the Coed 18U Intermediate Junior Team Tennis National Championships that took place November 8-11, at the USTA National Campus outside of Orlando, FL.
The Laguna Creek Racquet Club team, which came back on site as the defending champion, did a fantastic job competing in a very tough flight. “We definitely had a target on our back as the defending champion, they all came after us,” Fairchilds explained. “This is the youngest team I’ve ever taken to Nationals with only one player returning from last year, but they fought until the end and showed some great team spirit.”
As coach of the defending champion, Fairchilds helped the team navigate the pressure and nerves that come with playing in a National Championship. In addition, with higher tempeartures this year, it was important for him to teach the team how to properly prepare and recover in the heat. “Getting them prepared mentally was my main focus, as well as teaching them how to handle the elements and environment,” the longtime coach said. “We had many exciting and nerve-wracking matches but it was all in good spirit.” As proof of the amazing sportsmanship that was displayed during the tournament, Fairchilds recalled a very close match where his player was winning 9-7 in the third set super tiebreak. At first, the player called the ball out, but overruled himself and gave the match to the NorCal player. “I had never seen this before, it was amazing!” Fairchilds said, still in awe. In the end, the Laguna Creek Racquet Club finished an amazing season in fifth place.
USTA National Campus – Orlando, FL. Picture on the left: San Francisco Recreation and Park Department/Youth Tennis Advantage (SFRPD/YTA) team. Picture on the right: Laguna Creek Racquet Club team.
In the Coed 18U Advanced division, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department/Youth Tennis Advantage (SFRPD/YTA) team’s coach, Wing-Yan So, also shared Fairchilds sentiment about how competitive the tournament was. “My team was really young so it was a great experience to see where they were and where they need to be,” So reflected. The team is a mix of two NJTL chapters, making it a unique blend of two programs. “Lou Maunupau’s SFRPD team and our team always played each other, and we have both good but small programs so we decided to put them together. They’re all really good friends so it was sort of a family reunion.” So’s approach was to help her players be ready for the level of play, for the heat, and getting through all the matches. The SFRPD/YTA team finished 15th in the country but still managed to come home with a trophy. The NorCal team won the Team Banner competition with a well-thought out concept! “Some of my players are artsy so they thought about the concept of one team coming together,” So proudly told us. Being an NJTL Chapter definitely has its perks. Gregory Frias, the USTA Foundation Programs and Services/NJTL Manager gave the team a tour of the USTA National Campus. “It was a lot of fun for the team to check out the campus, and some of my players found their way onto the red clay courts,” So remembered amused.
USTA National Campus – Orlando, FL. Picture on the left: San Francisco Recreation and Park Department/Youth Tennis Advantage (SFRPD/YTA) with their winning banner. . Picture on the right: Four Directions Tennis’ banner during the opening ceremony.
USTA NorCal also sent a team in the Coed 14U Intermediate division. The Four Directions Tennis team from the South Bay, captained by Craig Pasqua, ccompeted at Nationals during the previous weekend November 1-4. Pasqua is no stranger to JTT Nationals as he lead his team to a third place finish in 2015. “I think the level has increased from two years ago with 21 of the top 100 nationally ranked players participating in this year’s championships,” the longtime USTA NorCal volunteer said. This year, after it was all said and done, the team finished sixth overall in the country and learned a lot from the experience. “Our focus was to stay positive, work as a team and support our teammates. We learned to stick together as a team and actively support teammates that are struggling to stay positive, focused, and in the moment.”
USTA National Campus – Orlando, FL. Picture on the left: Santiago Montgomery. Picture on the right: Four Directions Tennis team.
Congratulations to all the NorCal JTT teams on a fantastic season. We look forward to following all of you back in 2019. For more details on JTT, click here.
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