By Darlene Jackson

Any junior tennis player under 18, who can hit the ball over the net, can qualify for the Berlingo Junior Team Matches and can sign up by Monday, the 29th. Membership in the NTA is required for only $7 or $15 for a family, but each participant gets a t-shirt.

Applicants should list name, age and level, beginner, intermediate, or advanced and give shirt size, Youth large, Adults S, M, L, along with name and address, telephone number and check, if joining the NTA. Mail to N.T.A., PO Box 3432, Newtown, CT 06470.

The team matches will be played Saturdays, June 10, 17, and 24 and July 8, 15, and 22 from 11 am until 12:30 pm at Dickinson Park following the junior clinics. If there are sufficient numbers making the commitment, a Berlingo Travel Team will be formed for play in August.

The response on the USA 1-2-3 Junior Clinics to be held on the same days as the team matches (June 10, 17, 24, and July 8, 15, 22) has been good, but there is still room for more youngsters. This program is free to all Newtown residents. NTA membership is not required. Again, Monday is the deadline for applications to the N.T.A. PO Box 3432.

Times for the clinics are 10 to 10:30 for the 4-7 year-olds, and 10:30-11 for the 8 to 11 year-olds. Applications must include name, ages, address, and phone number.

These Berlingo Junior events are great warm-ups for the Victor Coppersmith Memorial Junior Championships that will be played the week of August 7 and the Junior Tennis party set for Saturday, September 23 at Beaver Brook Tennis Court, Sponsored by the NTA, My Place Restaurant, and The Ice Cream Shop.

The Arthur T. Berlingo Summer 2000 Challenge

Seventeen men and seven women have signed up for the singles division of the Berlingo Challenge with four men’s doubles teams, five women’s doubles teams, and seven mixed doubles teams.

The senior division has only six men’s singles players, two men’s doubles, and two mixed doubles teams. The senior women have shown little interest in participating, but for the one who did sign up for singles and the one for doubles, perhaps by calling Alex Aitchison at 270-8218, they can get linked with some of the other senior players, who did not sign up. I am one of them, 426-5192, and I did not sign up due to some personal commitments that might prevent my participation, however, give me a call!

I would remind all tennis players and fans to reserve the weekend after Memorial Day for the semi-finals and finals on the Fleet 2000 Open Tournament to be played at Dickinson Park. Also, don’t forget to check our web site at: www.homestead.com/newtowntennis/ files/index.htm and pray for some dry weather!