USTA Junior Team Tennis Teams
Below are the details for the Jr. USTA Teams we run that are based out of the Exton/Downingtown/Lionville areas
Division and Teams
We will have teams in the following divisions along with dates: We will have a team in each
12 and under (Green Dot Ball): March 25-May 17
14 and under: March 25-May 17
High School Girls: March 18- April 26
High School Coed April 29-June 7
Coaches: Justin DePietropaolo will be the teams head coaches and responsible for facilities, balls, practice, lineups, communication with parents, and communication with opposing coaches. We will also have assistant coaches who will be at practices and away matches.
Age Eligibility: Players can’t be over the age of the division and cannot turn the next age up until after June 7th, 2025 for 12 and under and June 23rd, 2025 for the 14 and under and High School Divisions. For instance for the 14u team, players can’t be over the age of 14 and cannot turn 15 until after June 23rd, 2025.
Level of Play Eligibility: The level of play is intermediate, so players should be generally be able rally over the net, 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 purchased at www.usta.com. USTA membership is free for all junior players.
WTN Ratings for 14 and under and 18 and under: Previous players will now have World Tennis Number ratings assigned to them which will determine which divisions our teams will be in. New players will have to self-rate. Player ratings for prevous players can be found here: https://tennislink.usta.com/TEAMTENNIS/Main/FindAJuniorRating.aspx. Please note that the 14 and under and 18 and under team will most likely be affected by this as we are are looking to form an intermediate team which means all players should be 27 or above for 14 and under players and 22 and above for High School Division players.
Cost: All players must be USTA members, which is free. There is a League Fee of $14, and the Team Fee is $150 for players for 1 night of practice per week and $115 for each of the High School Division seasons. If players want an additional night of practice, it’s an extra $50. 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 12u/14u season would be $164 for those attending 1 night of practice per week.
Location: In 2025, we ideally we will have practices on Tuesdays at Downingtown West HS, on Wednesdays at Downingtown West or Miller Park and on Thursdays in Exton at Miller Park. Our matches will be on Saturdays at Downingtown West HS.
Matches: There will be 6-8 matches for the season, half of which are home, and half are away. Matches will take place on Saturday afternoons for a 2 hour window anywhere between 12pm and 5pm. The 12u and 14u season will likely run from March 29th – May 17th. The High School Girls Season season will run from March 22nd- April 26th. The High School Coed season will run from May 3rd-June 7th. There are spots for 7 players in each and match, so while players may not play EVERY week, they will play in the majority of the matches.
Practices: Team practices will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday orThursday late afternoons or early evenings, starting the week before our first match and ending by the end of the season. Players are expected to come to 1 night of practice. Note if they would like to come to both nights, they can but it’s an extra $50 for the season. Practice times are as followed:
Tuesdays at Downingtown West HS in Downingtown, except 6/3 at Miller Park due to court conflicts.
4:30-5:45 for the High School Players
5:45-7:00 for the 12u Players
Wednesdays at either Miller Park (3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16) or Downingtown West (4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14)
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 Players
5:45-7:00 for the 14u player
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.
Players/Team: Spring teams are coed, so we will take a maximum of 10 players per team and we’re looking to do multiple teams per division. If we have more players interested in playing that slots available, the FIRST priority is those that have submitted their online interest form by the April 5th deadline. The SECOND priority is for players that have competed for our teams in the most recent season. Those that have competed in Fall 2022 will receive top priority.
Equipment: High School and 14u divisions will use yellow balls. The 12u division will use green dot balls. All players are responsible for providing their own racquets.
Contacts:
Head Coach: Justin DePietropaolo- justin@phillyteamtennis.org ; (484) 884-0048
Registration: Please Click on the Link Below to complete the first step of registration which is filling out our Interest Form. We need to know by March 5th for 12u, 14u and HS Girls division and April 14th for High School Coed if your player is planning on playing this upcoming season by completing Step 3 of the registration. If not in by early April, there is no guarantee that your player will be selected to play on the team.
