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Marian Thomson

Junior Tennis Circuit Executive Director

Clovis, California


"I was a director with Central California Tennis Association for 15 years. I also worked for the USTA as a service representative/community coordinator for 12 years. The part I like about these tournaments is the interaction with the families and kids, and watching them grow in the game of tennis. I keep doing this because it's fun. I think this is a fabulous format. I think it would be great if more pro tournaments did this, because a lot of people buy tickets to a tennis tournament, and they want to see a particular player play. Well, if they don't get there in the early rounds, they won't get to see that player, but having this format, as a round robin, they will see everyone in the tournament at some point. The future is limitless with this format. I think this system would grow in any community, no matter what kind of tennis that they already have!"

Don Grensted

Coach, Teaching Pro, and Tournament Director

Clovis, California


"I have been involved with tennis for 65 years. I started in Southern California. I started teaching tennis in Bakersfield. I came to Fresno 40 years ago and was a teaching pro at a local tennis club, and that's where I met Mike. I'm still teaching and coaching in the Fresno/Clovis Area. These tournaments have been needed for a while. There is a void for kids to play unless they are elite players playing in NorCal. This tournament format is giving kids who are beginners, novices, and intermediates a chance to see how they are and see how they need to improve. For the future, we need to expand it to get more people involved. This format helps kids in several ways. It helps them associate with other players; both boys, girls, older, and younger.. It helps them in the development of their games. At this stage, they are so excited to play; all they want to do is play. If they just do lessons twice a week, or clinics twice a week, they are just hitting, not playing. In these tournaments, even if they lose, they report their score, and typically their next question is, Who do I play now?"


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Lynette A. Moore

Junior Tennis Tournament Parent

"Just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do at junior tennis circuit.. The time that my daughter has been able to spend on the court because of junior tennis circuit has been very valuable for her growth as a player. She is a late starter to the game of tennis (starting in the 7th grade). We are very of her growth over the last 2 years. She is a 9th grader in high school this year and just completed tryouts-she made Varsity (the only Freshman) and is 5th on the roster-this is a great accomplishment for her. We wanted to share this success with you because we feel the junior tennis circuit has given her a wonderful platform to grow. . . Again-Thank you! All my thanks!"

Roland Roos

Certified Public Accountant—Roland Roos Company

20 Years as President of Local Tennis Association (C.C.T.A)



"Having been somebody who has run a lot of tournaments, and was involved in a lot of tournaments (we were up to 45 tournaments a year), I saw what the needs were from the users. Thinking in terms of the needs of the people who operated the tournaments and organized them, I tried to facilitate a good experience. Your program lends itself to that by being more efficient, number one, and number two, I believe it will increase the quality of the event. It's the quality of the event that's important, like any business. If you have a good quality event, the participants will want another event. I know operators of tennis clubs, being the pros, owners, or the managers, want to get good feedback that it was a good event for everyone, so they will want to do another event in the following months. I think your program lends itself to a more efficient event, and additionally, it has financial rewards, because there are cost that go into every event. They come from different vendors.. In your program you have the vendors already arranged, so you are going to get cost savings. You are going to have more time to spend on the event, to keep the quality high, and that is the experience of playing tennis and watching as a parent and a grandparent. That's important. Your provides recognition and provides all the tools that you need, and it's all electronic, for the most part, and for a minimal cost. So for an operator or tennis pro, or someone like myself who has run tournaments for 20 years, that certainly gets my attention! Because then I think I can do better quality events this year and I'll have better feedback and I'll have more people playing in them. That's what I see from your program. As I'm thinking back, all the points that were really the hurdles that were tough, you have simplified that and I believe your program will do that. Good job Mike!"

Shane Moore

Business Owner/ Entrepreneur


"What a great opportunity you have created for kids to be able to compete consistently with juniors at their level and above. I have had a son who trained nationwide and competed. I can remember spending all day or weekends away from home and work. The actual time spent compared to productive time competing was at best 10%. It was harder and harder to find competition on a regular basis for my child to improve. My biggest complaint was that we were gone so much. That's why your system is so attractive. It makes playing tournaments more doable for the family to be involved!"


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Gil Villareal

Junior Tennis Tournament Parent, Fresno, CA


"My children have been playing in these tournaments for about 3 to 4 years. The reason I have them in these tournaments is because it's a way to teach them life lessons. It teaches them how to stand on their own on the court. It teaches them how to win, and how to lose, and how to move forward. Besides the great game of tennis, it teaches them about the game of life. That's why our family participates!"


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Sam and Danya Salhab

Junior Tennis Tournament Parents, Fresno, CA



"My son plays in the junior tennis circuit tournaments, and they're helping him, but more importantly is the fact that he's have fun at every single tournament in which he plays. We'll keep participating (playing) in them because his game is improving with every tournament. There are people coming from out of town, so its a really good cross-section of kids from the community with which to play. It's going to get the kids' game better each time. They're having fun out here, and that's the most important thing. Also, these tournaments help prepare them for USTA section tournaments. We have participated in at least 10 tournaments so far, and we'll keep coming back and playing another 10!"

Dennis Simonian

Fresno State Tennis Alumni, Business Owner, Fresno, CA


"I'm here at the tournament for my twin grandchildren. I enjoy the tournaments because they are well organized and everybody seems to have fun and everybody seems to have fun; that's what it's all about!"


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Ted Hoie

Junior Tennis Tournament Parent, Fresno, CA


"I live in Fresno, California and have two children who play in the junior tennis circuit tournaments. This tennis circuit is a very well-managed local tennis organization that my kids really enjoy. These tournaments afford them the opportunity to play with many, many players, which gives them good exposure. This is very hard to come by. We are lucky to have one in Fresno and Clovis area. This format is an inexpensive way for them to experience tennis tournaments, we don't have to travel far, and they continue to enlarge/expand. They will be given the opportunity to experience a "bigger league" when they play in a USTA Challenger or an Open. Once they're in school, they'll have the opportunity to play matches and it's going to be very, very, helpful!"


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Jay Jayakumar

Junior Tennis Tournament Parent, Fresno, CA



"I'm from India and have been in Fresno for the past 15 years. My daughter Anushka, has played tennis for the last 6 to 7 years. The junior tennis circuit has been a great promoter of the in this area. I have been watching tennis since the John McEnroe days, so I have a passion for tennis. I used to play tennis at the league level. My daughter seems to have taken to tennis and she loves playing. This is a good practice zone where kids can play against each other in a competitive environment to improve their skills; it gets them ready for the big league. It's a very good system to help promote good tennis and friendship amount kids. There are a lot of benefits. Junior tennis circuit has been doing a great job."