This year we have introduced a new format for The Mini Tennis Winter Team League. To encourage more clubs and their young players to enter and compete we introduced the qualifying and main draw idea (rather dull names and something we want to work on!).
The qualifying draw started early October and in this event the clubs fielded teams with only one Mini Level 1 Rated player. 26 Red, 17 Orange and 19 Green teams played through until the end of December. All the group winners then went through to the knock out Main Draw.
The statistics for the league are impressive: 83 teams entered, playing a total of 1,325 matches which included 462 players of which 119 were girls!
We played the finals of the league at the Herts Tennis Centre, Gosling Sports Park on Sunday 30th March 2014 and all who took part were presented with medals. The finals results were:
10 and under Green
Winners: Batchwood Green Battlers
Runners Up: Green Legends
3rd Place: Gosling Green Giants
4th Place: Berkhamsted Stags
9 and under Orange
Winners: Batchwood Orange Bravehearts
Runners Up: Orange Legends
3rd Place: Letchworth Orange Lobbers
4th Place: Hoddesdon Orange Hotshots
8 and under Red
Winners: Gosling Red Aces
Runners Up: Batchwood Red Muntjacs
3rd Place: Letchworth Red Lobbers
4th Place: Red Legends
RED CONSOLATION DRAW
Winners: Chorleywood Reds
Runners Up: Brookmans Park Hotshots
The team managers deserve a special thank you for their hard work and dedication. Without their support the league could not have achieved this success. The new parents to the Red Level competition are often on a huge learning curve. We now have another group of supportive and informed parents to take the league further. I hear that medals were worn at Mother’s Day Celebrations!
Congratulations to everyone for making the league such a success once again. The winners and runners up are invited to the Junior Awards Evening on 25th April at Welwyn Tennis Club.
Jennifer Keates