One of the best parts of playing USTA League tennis in the Mid-Atlantic is the friends that you make. These are people that rally for you and cheer you on both on the court and throughout the ups and downs that life throws your way. For many, their tennis team is like family with a bond that has been built from grinding it out during tough tennis matches and from the memorable times spent off the court. Those are the special times together thanks to your love of tennis such as traveling to tournaments, championships or even National events. 

But not every team gets the chance to travel to a Regional or Section championship. That’s why USTA Mid-Atlantic partnered with the Roanoke Valley Tennis Association to create Second Serve to give more teams, especially women’s teams,  the chance to hit the road for fun on court competition against teams from all over the Mid-Atlantic and off court laughs. 

We chatted with Yoshie Nahmens, a current 4.0 who has been playing USTA Leagues for more than ten years, to get her take on the fun of traveling with your tennis team. Yoshie is an active captain in Fairfax, Virginia having captained more than ten teams in the last three years and plays on a variety of others leagues in Northern Virginia.

What has been your favorite girls’ weekend tennis memory?

This is a tough one since I have had several fun memories that picking just one is a challenge. I would probably say my 3.0/3.5/4.0 team’s win at the 2017 Tri-Level League Sectionals since we were not able to compete to defend our title last year. We were #1 in the local league but lost in the first round of local league playoffs. All matches were very tight and nail biters, so this win was extra sweet and special.

We’ve created so many great friendships off the court through our teams over the years that we’ve created our own weekend getaways. Eleven of us participated in a Wintergreen tennis camp a few years ago. We rented a huge house, cooked all our meals together (it was a cold, rainy & foggy April weekend, so we couldn’t go anywhere), danced, talked and crashed. It was my first ‘tennis camp’ and I loved it. I hope a group of us can go to another tennis camp in the near future. It was so much fun!

How has travelling for tennis been a bonding experience for the ladies on your teams?

We drive 3 hours+ to get to most Region and Section Championships so we usually carpool. Our team also shares hotel room to split the cost and spend more time together.  During travel and stay, we talk about family, kids, vacation, etc. So much quality bonding time – it has been great.

What’s your team’s favorite thing to do off the tennis court when you’re travelling together?

I normally set up our team dinner on one of the nights when we travel to Regionals and/or Sectionals. Many of our team knows each other pretty well, but it is always fun to get together over great food and great wine (typically) and enjoy lots of laughs. Girls can be girls. It’s the most relaxed moment before the battle on the court.

Team-bonding, beautiful hikes, tasty breweries, late-night laughs, sing-along car rides and heck, maybe even that perfect, “down-the-T” serve will show up on your weekend in the Roanoke Valley at Second Serve, so gather up your tennis girls and let us know you are interested in playing in the inaugural event!  

USTA Mid-Atlantic and the Roanoke Valley Tennis Association are introducing Second Serve, a highly social team competition that has the look of a league championship with teams from all over the Mid-Atlantic competing, but in a fun, low-pressure environment. Second Serve will take place in Roanoke, Va. Teams from the Adult 18 & Over women’s leagues at 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 NTRP levels are eligible to participate in Second Serve. Play will count toward your NTRP rating, but there is no advancement.  Click here to learn more about the event!