5.5 Leagues

[LiamMiguel]

So I did my self-rating as I have to do every single year and got moved up to 5.5. I’m planning to not be in town during the summer months and will most likely be elsewhere. Could I still play league outside of my home section?

Follow-up…if I can, are there even 5.5 Singles or Doubles leagues? Specifically in Nashville, North Florida, Texas, or in Atlanta? I feel like I’ve never seen leagues at 5.5 or higher.

 

[esgee48]

ALTA in Atlanta has an equivalent 5.5 league. Texas and Florida may depend on which county you reside in. In Norcal and Socal, there are 5.0+ leagues, but I don't think they advance to anything like a Nationals.

 

[TennisOTM]

So I did my self-rating as I have to do every single year and got moved up to 5.5. I’m planning to not be in town during the summer months and will most likely be elsewhere. Could I still play league outside of my home section?

Follow-up…if I can, are there even 5.5 Singles or Doubles leagues? Specifically in Nashville, North Florida, Texas, or in Atlanta? I feel like I’ve never seen leagues at 5.5 or higher.

First, yes you can sign up for league in any section regardless of where your home is.

As a 5.5 in USTA, most places you'd go to "open" level leagues, and those are very rare. Many places have open leagues on the books but they usually don't get any teams to sign up. The only active open-level league I've seen recently was in Seattle.

The more likely option would be to play in a 10.0 mixed league, where you might be able to play mixed doubles with a 4.5 partner. Those are pretty rare too but more common than open or 5.5+ men's leagues. But even that option is becoming less common - I think the Southern section is moving to straight-levels for mixed this year.

 

[jhick]

Up here in the northern section, occasionally some D1 or ex D1 guys from the (U of MN) and open level players will form a team for the sole purpose of competing at nationals. But it's unlikely we will see that happen in the future since the men's program was cut a couple of years ago unfortunately.

 

[atatu]

There are a few cities in Texas that have 10.0 mixed leagues, Dallas and Austin and sometimes San Antonio.

 

[LiamMiguel]

First, yes you can sign up for league in any section regardless of where your home is.

As a 5.5 in USTA, most places you'd go to "open" level leagues, and those are very rare. Many places have open leagues on the books but they usually don't get any teams to sign up. The only active open-level league I've seen recently was in Seattle.

The more likely option would be to play in a 10.0 mixed league, where you might be able to play mixed doubles with a 4.5 partner. Those are pretty rare too but more common than open or 5.5+ men's leagues. But even that option is becoming less common - I think the Southern section is moving to straight-levels for mixed this year.

Yeah, I played in a 9.0 summer mixed league in the last couple of years, and now I wouldn't have been able to play it anyways because it would've had to been straight up 5.0 mixed and now 5.5 mixed.

 

[LiamMiguel]

There are a few cities in Texas that have 10.0 mixed leagues, Dallas and Austin and sometimes San Antonio.

I'll look into it. I grew up in Dallas so I can ask around pretty easily I presume and maybe see if my old club has a team.

 

[TennisOTM]

I'll look into it. I grew up in Dallas so I can ask around pretty easily I presume and maybe see if my old club has a team.

Looks like there was a two-team league last spring/summer, with a couple of 5.5 players on the rosters:

USTA Leagues

 

[LiamMiguel]

Looks like there was a two-team league last spring/summer, with a couple of 5.5 players on the rosters:

USTA Leagues

I think I've seen some of those names before. I appreciate it! If I get the internship I'm looking for in Dallas, I'll be sure to check these teams out.

 

[LiamMiguel]

Gonna bump this thread with some new information...

I eventually landed an internship in Jacksonville, FL. I know tennis isn't that big in North Florida (at the higher levels at least as I know a lot of 3.5s and 4.0s there) and I'm sure it would be difficult to find an open league or a 5.5 league of any sorts. I'm looking on Tennislink right now and they haven't had anything other than a 5.0 league last summer. Is there anyone on here from North Florida that knows anything more about open or 5.5?

Otherwise, I plan to head down to Miami and Orlando to play tournaments for a couple weekends, like some UTR prize moneys or some ITA Summer Circuit events. Somewhere to train would be nice too but my options seem to be college players in the area, and that might be a conversation for the college tennis thread.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

It would have been cool if you made it to Dallas, Michael Mabe is a great guy and player with two handed strokes on both sides, impeccable timing. So hard to read his shots early.

 

[LiamMiguel]

It would have been cool if you made it to Dallas, Michael Mabe is a great guy and player with two handed strokes on both sides, impeccable timing. So hard to read his shots early.

Man, would’ve been nice to get that going. It is what it is, maybe I can make my way back to DFW in the near future!

 

[jaxadam]

Gonna bump this thread with some new information...

I eventually landed an internship in Jacksonville, FL. I know tennis isn't that big in North Florida (at the higher levels at least as I know a lot of 3.5s and 4.0s there) and I'm sure it would be difficult to find an open league or a 5.5 league of any sorts. I'm looking on Tennislink right now and they haven't had anything other than a 5.0 league last summer. Is there anyone on here from North Florida that knows anything more about open or 5.5?

Otherwise, I plan to head down to Miami and Orlando to play tournaments for a couple weekends, like some UTR prize moneys or some ITA Summer Circuit events. Somewhere to train would be nice too but my options seem to be college players in the area, and that might be a conversation for the college tennis thread.

I’m in Jacksonville. It is hard enough for us to get a USTA 5.0 league. I have a couple of 5.5 buddies and the only thing they can really do is our First Coast A league which is three lines of dubs but we don’t start that back up until this September. You will not have a hard time finding plenty of places to hit and plenty of decent players here.

 

[jaxadam]

edit: double

 

[LiamMiguel]

I’m in Jacksonville. It is hard enough for us to get a USTA 5.0 league. I have a couple of 5.5 buddies and the only thing they can really do is our First Coast A league which is three lines of dubs but we don’t start that back up until this September. You will not have a hard time finding plenty of places to hit and plenty of decent players here.

Yeah, that's what I was expecting. Thanks anyways, I'm sure I'll find a good group to train with for the summer.