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Parker Tennis Colorado sees national stage
By Benn Farrell
Parker Tennis of Colorado represented the U.S. Tennis Academy’s Intermountain Section Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the 2009 USTA Junior Team Tennis Intermediate 18 and Under National Championships in Mobile, Ala. There, the team finished in eighth place out of 16 teams.
The Parker-based roster, made up of youth players from Parker, Lone Tree and Boulder, played a sectional qualifying tournament against other Colorado teams in July of this year. With a first-place finish in the qualifier, the team was put in the sectional tournaments against other USTA Intermountain Section teams from Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Parker Tennis of Colorado won that tournament as well, which qualified the team for the Junior Team Tennis nationals in Mobile.
The team was under the coaching of Barry Riddle, the Town of Parker’s tennis director and head coach of the Legend High School tennis teams. Four of Parker Tennis of Colorado’s players, including Madison Porter, Jake Sheldon Luke Whalen and Chad Waschmann, each 15 years old and hail from Parker, play for Riddle with the Titans.
The remaining four players, Katya Golynko of Lone Tree, Brynn Wheeler of Parker, Greg Buttenmiller of Boulder and Rachel Schepper, are kids Riddle knew from area tennis. Buttenmiller attends Monarch High School, while Golynko goes to Cherry Creek. Wheeler attends Valor Christian and the Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Tampa, Fla.
“They were all chosen because they are good solid players and great kids,” Riddle said.
Among those on the roster, Jake Sheldon has seen limited out-of-state action, but the others have not, the coach said. Riddle said the event in Mobile was much larger in scope. The tournament was at a facility that included 60 tennis courts.
“It was much more official, and because of the banners, signage, tents, press, etc. onsite, it was clear this was a national championship, something the kids noticed and appreciated,” Riddle said. “The competition was very good and much older, better than they see in local tournaments and their high school seasons.”
Regardless of the team’s finish, each player returns with experience in the pressurized environment of a national championship tournament. They have played against older, strong and more mature opponents, Riddle said.
“They played as individuals and as team members, playing for themselves and their teammates,” the coach said. “They played in a format where every game counted toward the end results. All of these situations will make them better players both physically and mentally as they approach summer tournaments and their high school seasons.”
The team’s players average 15 years old, and they competed against team with average ages of 17-18. In addition, many of the team’s opponents were collegiate players, Riddle said, whereas Parker Tennis of Colorado is mostly high school freshmen and sophomores.
The coach said the team plans on staying together and competing again next year in an attempt to finish in the top three at nationals.
Jake Sheldon, the "heart and soul" of the team, as Riddle says, finished 7-2 in the national tournament against the best players from the other teams.
“We finished eighth but were only a few games short of finishing in the top four, barring an injury to our best female player [Brynn Wheeler], we surely would have finished in the top three,” Riddle said. “The USTA Intermountain and Colorado Tennis Association were extremely helpful in giving our team the support we needed to be successful.”
To find out more about USTA Junior Team Tennis or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.
The Parker-based roster, made up of youth players from Parker, Lone Tree and Boulder, played a sectional qualifying tournament against other Colorado teams in July of this year. With a first-place finish in the qualifier, the team was put in the sectional tournaments against other USTA Intermountain Section teams from Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Parker Tennis of Colorado won that tournament as well, which qualified the team for the Junior Team Tennis nationals in Mobile.
The team was under the coaching of Barry Riddle, the Town of Parker’s tennis director and head coach of the Legend High School tennis teams. Four of Parker Tennis of Colorado’s players, including Madison Porter, Jake Sheldon Luke Whalen and Chad Waschmann, each 15 years old and hail from Parker, play for Riddle with the Titans.
The remaining four players, Katya Golynko of Lone Tree, Brynn Wheeler of Parker, Greg Buttenmiller of Boulder and Rachel Schepper, are kids Riddle knew from area tennis. Buttenmiller attends Monarch High School, while Golynko goes to Cherry Creek. Wheeler attends Valor Christian and the Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Tampa, Fla.
“They were all chosen because they are good solid players and great kids,” Riddle said.
Among those on the roster, Jake Sheldon has seen limited out-of-state action, but the others have not, the coach said. Riddle said the event in Mobile was much larger in scope. The tournament was at a facility that included 60 tennis courts.
“It was much more official, and because of the banners, signage, tents, press, etc. onsite, it was clear this was a national championship, something the kids noticed and appreciated,” Riddle said. “The competition was very good and much older, better than they see in local tournaments and their high school seasons.”
Regardless of the team’s finish, each player returns with experience in the pressurized environment of a national championship tournament. They have played against older, strong and more mature opponents, Riddle said.
“They played as individuals and as team members, playing for themselves and their teammates,” the coach said. “They played in a format where every game counted toward the end results. All of these situations will make them better players both physically and mentally as they approach summer tournaments and their high school seasons.”
The team’s players average 15 years old, and they competed against team with average ages of 17-18. In addition, many of the team’s opponents were collegiate players, Riddle said, whereas Parker Tennis of Colorado is mostly high school freshmen and sophomores.
The coach said the team plans on staying together and competing again next year in an attempt to finish in the top three at nationals.
Jake Sheldon, the "heart and soul" of the team, as Riddle says, finished 7-2 in the national tournament against the best players from the other teams.
“We finished eighth but were only a few games short of finishing in the top four, barring an injury to our best female player [Brynn Wheeler], we surely would have finished in the top three,” Riddle said. “The USTA Intermountain and Colorado Tennis Association were extremely helpful in giving our team the support we needed to be successful.”
To find out more about USTA Junior Team Tennis or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.
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