Junior Team Tennis
Pelham Racquet Club has long been a destination for young tennis players hoping to
learn the game of tennis or develop their skills. The students are guided by
knowledgeable tennis professionals who work hard to make sure they are equipped with
the tools for success.
Summer is the busiest season for USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT). According to
Chaney Mills, Director of the Pelham Racquet Club, two different tracks were available
for Junior Team Tennis this year. “One track offered advancement from the state
tournament in Auburn. The other involved a qualifier event that was held here at Pelham
Racquet Club in June.”
Pelham Racquet Club was represented by eleven teams at the 2022 USTA Alabama
Junior Team Tennis State Championship in Auburn July 15-17. The Parrots, a 14U
Intermediate team coached by Joseph Bobba, advanced from the state tournament.
They will compete at the Sectional Championship in Rome, Georgia on September 3-5,
which is the final tournament of the season for this particular track.
The Pineapples, a 14U Intermediate team, and the Puffins, 18U Intermediate, are
coached by Ryen Valentine. Both teams advanced from the USTA Alabama State
Qualifier Tournament at the Pelham Racquet Club earlier this summer and played in the
Sectional Championship on August 12-14 in Macon, Georgia. The Pineapples placed
second in the Sectionals. They’re waiting to hear if a wildcard is granted in hopes they
can advance to the National Championship on October 6-9 in Orlando, Florida.
Joseph Bobba is busy prepping his Parrots for the Sectional Championship coming up
on Labor Day weekend. The co-ed team is made up of ten girls and boys. “The majority
of the kids are Pelham kids, but we also have team members from outside Pelham. Last
year they started in the 14 and under beginner division and won the entire division. This
year they moved up to 14 and under intermediate and repeated their winning season at
a higher division,” said Bobba. He added there are three players on the team who will
be playing on the Pelham High School tennis team this year. “They’re part Panther, part
Parrot,” Bobba joked.
The Parrots are extremely proud of their mascot and have completely embraced the
tropical theme for their team. “They’ve been the Parrots now for two years, and although
it’s not the official name, they call their clinic the ‘Parrot Clinic’. They’ll hang parrot
banners or parrot piñatas on their tent at the tournaments,” said Bobba. The coach is
even been known to dress in a parrot shirt to boost team spirit.
When asked what makes the team so special, Bobba had a quick answer. “Their
enthusiasm to stay together as a group is impressive. Tennis is always known as an
individual sport, but this team is such fun because every single kid will cheer for another
kid to win that match just like they’re playing in the match themselves. So they’re as
close to a team as you can be in an individual sport.” He added that the group is close
because of the relationships. “The parents are friends. The kids are friends. They’re in
the same clinics together here at the club. They come and hit in their free time together.
You see kids from different schools become a team and close friends.”
After a big weekend at the Sectional Tournament in Macon, Ryen Valentine was quick
to brag about his 14U Pineapples and 18U Puffins. “What’s cool about the Pineapples is
that we kind of put that team together with some other kids from different cities. There’s
a girl from Auburn playing on that team. With this crew, kids who didn’t know each other
well started playing together, and now they’re developing friendships. They’re all pretty
high-level tournament players among the 14s.”
“The 18U Puffins are more like the Parrots. Some of these kids have known each other
forever. Two of the kids are getting ready to go to college. One of them even skipped
his move-in day to play in the Sectionals. They embraced the new kids, became closer,
and now they’re Snapchatting each other. They’re a pretty close group,” said Valentine.
Valentine reflected on the most rewarding aspect of coaching Junior Team Tennis. “It’s
about the whole journey. I like seeing the kids grow. Sometimes I’ll see a kid who
maybe got cut from their high school team. After putting in a ton of work, not only do
they make the JTT team, but they excel. They go from a place where they’re maybe
beat down a little bit to having confidence as their game grows. I think it’s pretty cool to
see a sport change a kid that way.”
Junior Team Tennis continues to grow at Pelham Racquet Club. The club offers teams
ranging from 10 and under beginners to 18 and under advanced players. Along with
Coach Ryen Valentine and Coach Joseph Bobba, coaches Rusty Wilkes and Clay
Parrish offer a wide variety of teams of various ages and playing levels.
Anyone interested in tennis lessons, or participating on a team should contact the
Pelham Racquet Club at (205) 621-3380.