Below are the details for the 2024 Jr. USTA Teams we run that are based out of the Downingtown area
Division and Teams
We will have teams in the following divisions. We may have 2-3 teams in each.
12 and under Coed Division – 4th-6th graders
14 and under Coed Division – 7th-8th graders
High School Boys Division- 9th-12th grade boys
Coaches: Justin DePietropaolo will be the teams head coaches and responsible for facilities, balls, practice, lineups, communication with parents, and communication with opposing coaches. Tom Harker will be assisting with practices and matches. We may have other coaches that also assist.
Age Eligibility: Players can’t be over the age of the division and cannot turn the next age up until after June 30th, 2025. For instance for the 14u team, players can’t be over the age of 14 and cannot turn 15 until after June 30th, 2025.
Level of Play Eligibility: These teams are for intermediate and advanced players, so players should be be able rally over the net consistently, keep score and serve. New team players will be subject to a tryout and/or skills test at the beginning of the season, which will focus on these factors.
USTA Membership: All players must be USTA members, which can be done at www.usta.com. USTA membership is free and includes subscriptions to various publications.
Cost: In addition to the USTA Membership (which is free), the League Fee is $13, and the Team Fee is $120 for players that 1 night of practice per week. If players want an additional night of practice, it’s an extra $40. The League fee goes towards league awards and administration. The team fee is for courts, balls, practices, and an end of the year party. The total cost for the season would be $133 for those attending 1 night of practice per week.
World Tennis Number Ratings: Previous players will have World Tennis Number ratings assigned to them which will determine which divisions our teams will be in. New players will be fine. Player ratings for previous players can be found by logging into your USTA account. Please note that the 14 and under team will most likely be affected by this as we are looking to form an intermediate team which means all players should be 25 or above. This may change if it turns out we have more advanced players signed up for the team.
Matches: Half of the 6 to 7 matches are home, and half are away. Home match location will be at Downingtown West HS. Away matches are around the Philadelphia/Chester County area and should be no longer than a 45 min. drive. Matches take place Saturday afternoons early September through the end of October. There are spots for 7 players in each match, so while players may not play EVERY week, they will play in the majority of the matches. A schedule will be put out before August 30th . The season will last from September 7th -October 19th .
Practices: Team practices will be held on weekday late afternoons or early evenings, starting the week before our first match and ending before our last scheduled match. We have 2 practices a week and players are expected to attend a 1. If they would like to attend 2 practice a week, they can but it’s an extra $40 for the season.
Practice Days and Times
There are 3 days a week that we have practices available. Note that these will shift back 30 minutes earlier for the last 2 weeks of the season due to daylight.
Tuesdays at Downingtown West HS in Downingtown, except week 1 will be on 9/3 at Miller Park due to court conflicts.
4:30-5:45 for the High School Boys Players
5:45-7:00 for the 12u Players
Wednesdays at either Downingtown West (9/4, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16) or Miller Park (9/11, 9/18, 9/25)
4:30-5:45 for the 14u players
5:45-7:00 for the 12u players
Thursdays at Miller Park in Exton
4:30-5:45 for the High School Boys
5:45-7:00 for the 14u players
Parents: Parents are responsible for transportation for their players to and from matches. Occasionally we will ask parents to help with lineups as well for away matches.
Team Names: Team names will be given to teams as consulted by players and coaches and may or may not include “Just Tennis” in front of the name to provide program unity.
Uniforms: We have a variety of youth size Just Tennis DriFit shirts that are available for free at a first come- first serve basis. Also, additional Just Tennis apparel can be purchased here: http://justtennis.logosoftwear.com/.. We would like players to wear their uniformed shirts, but it’s not a necessity.
Contacts:
Head Coach: Justin DePietropaolo- justin@phillyteamtennis.org; (484) 884-0048
If you are Interested: Please Click on the Link Below to complete the interest form. You’ll then receive a follow up e-mail with further instructions for registration or a skills test for new players. Just because you fill out the interest form does NOT guarantee that you’re on the team. The follow up registration MUST be done by August 27th at 11:59pm in order to be on the team. If not in by then., there is no guarantee that your player can be on a team.
