National Junior Tennis League (NJTL)Update
Every year local tennis clubs, organizations, and communities throughout Northern New Mexico organize their beginner youths, ranging in age from 6 to 14 years old, into league teams consisting of usually 3 girls and 3 boys. These teams are taught the basics of tennis, how to score, and how to rally. Within their small group of friends they practice the summer in order to compete at the Regional Rally.
This year Northern New Mexico's NJTL Regional Rally was hosted on 17 July 2004 at the Shellaberger Tennis Center in Santa Fe. We had twelve teams, approximately 72-80 kids, participating in three flights. Teams came from: Las Vegas (2), Santa Fe (1), Albuquerque Sierra Vista (4), Albuquerque Tennis Complex (2), Grants (2), and Los Alamos (1). The format played was two sets of boys' and girls' singles, two sets of boys' and girls' doubles, and then two sets of mixed doubles. Games were no-ad scoring. At the end of the day the team that won the most games won the rally. This year a team from the Albuquerque Complex won the event. Congratulations Complex!!
Everyone had a lot of fun. We played one flight in the morning, broke for a subway sandwich lunch and Arthur Ashe Video, went back out to play two more flights, and then held the awards ceremony and picture taking sessions. Next year, we expect the turnout to be even larger and the event more successful. Contact your local tennis club or organization to start a team for next year's season, now. Contact Becky Lee, the Northern New Mexico Community Tennis Coordinator, to see how you can participate in the 2005 NJTL.
