This is an article I wrote immediately following a USTA affiliated 10 and under tennis tournament that I successfully ran in 2011.
On the weekend of June 4 2011, Federer and Nadal weren’t the only quality players doing battle on the tennis court. Local 10 and Under players were battling it out in Chesterbrook in a USTA Sanctioned 10 and under tournament: The 10 and under classic featuring a diverse array of young talent from all over the Philadelphia District.
This tournament, much to the surprise of some of its entrants, utilized the Quick Start format; featuring 23-25” racquets, lower compression “orange” balls, and modified court dimensions. According to parents and attendees, the balls weren’t the only things that were lower in pressure.
One parent expressed that the tournament was “low pressure, inviting, upbeat, and positive. It was well attended, organized, and the communication was top-notch.” 10 and Under tennis is all about participation, having fun, and igniting a passion for tennis within these children. Not only did they seem to be developing a love for the game and solid fundamentals on the court, but also solid social skills as well, as they were friendly with their opponents, resolved disputes amongst themselves and carried themselves very well on the court.
Perhaps some of the most memorable battles were in the boys consolation bracket. 7-year-old Aidan Vesci used his solid fundamentals and surprisingly adept footwork to battle his way through this bracket and earned himself the win. His parents, Jim and Julie Vesci, were very enthusiastic about not just their son’s performance, but also about the 10 and under format. They stated that “10 and under tennis is a fantastic new format! It allows kids to keep the ball in play a lot longer which in turn builds confidence, footwork and point construction on the court. Our son has grown tremendously in the last six months under this new format and it has sparked a passion in him that is exciting to watch. We commend the USTA for implementing this format so quickly and we know it will produce some of the best and brightest United States tennis players in the future.”
In the boys final, Alex Prohorov used his all court game and relentless consistency to defeat Joel Jesudason in a match that featured tons of great rallies, big serves and well-timed attacks. In the girls final, Danielle Benstock was thoroughly dominant and cruised through the draw without dropping a single game. In the finals, she defeated the talented young Tori Allen who was playing in her first tournament at age 6.
As a first time Tournament Director, I was expecting very short matches with lots of confusion and unforced errors due to the young age of the players, but what I saw was amazing to watch. Due to this format, which allows the players to hit balls in their strike zone and sustain long rallies, there were many memorable battles out there. Parents’ heads were going back and forth as their young children were engaged in grueling 20-30 ball rallies that were as entertaining to watch as they were exhausting.
Points were being constructed; players were working the ball from corner to corner and finding openings to attack. It was great to watch. Perhaps the most rewarding experience of the tournament was to witness the passion for tennis that is developing within these young players.
For example, after 9 year old Daniel Porecca completed his third match of the day, a grueling 3 set match, complete with 30 ball rallies, lunging ground strokes, and grunts to rival Rafa’s, the first thing he said when he stepped off the court was “Is Justin going to host another one of these soon?” It’s great to see this passion for tennis being ignited in these future stars. This was a great weekend for 10 and under tennis and a positive experience for the young players.
