Joining the League

The Columbia Tennis League offers a variety of team tennis programs year-round. Kids (<18), Adults (19+) and Seniors (50+) can participate in team tennis in the Spring and Fall. Players can pair up with a partner and play Mixed Doubles and Combo Doubles in the summer at both the adult and senior levels. Super Seniors (60+) and Super Duper Seniors (70+) have their own leagues that play in late fall.

If you are completely new to tennis, give Nan Smith a call @ 736-3488 and she can get you started on finding a beginner's team. If you have played league tennis before, but are new to the area, try posting a message on the CTL bulletin board to try to find a team. If you have played tennis recreationally, but never in a league, try talking to the pros at some of the local facilities. They know the "regulars" and can probably help guide you toward a team at the appropriate NTRP level.

You will need an NTRP rating to participate in league tennis. Players with equal ratings participate in the same divisions. If you have played league tennis in any state within the last 5 years, you have an NTRP rating. If you have not played within the last 5 years (or not played at all), you must self-rate when you sign up for your team. The self-rating guidelines are here.

Once you find a team, you'll need to register online for the team through TennisLink. There will be a registration fee ($13-$28, depending on the league) and a $2 TennisLink fee (increasing to $3 beginning 2007). In some leagues, your court fees are pre-paid and in others, you will need to pay a court fee for each match.

To participate in league tennis, all players must be a member of USTA. To join USTA, click here.

That's all there is to it! So pick up a racket and start swinging!