March 2026 Newsletter
L5 BARBARA ESTES FRIENDSHIP CUP – COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE – KRAMER SCHOLARSHIP GRANT – NOVO NORDISK DONNELLY SCHOLARSHIP
JUNIOR PARENT WEBINAR – DISCOUNTED L7 TOURNAMENTS – U10 EARLY DEVELOPMENT CAMPS – SPORTSMANSHIP CORNER
RECENT JUNIOR RESULTS – RECENT JUNIOR NEWS – WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU – TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
L5 Barbara Estes Friendship Cup
Entries are now open! The Barbara Estes Friendship Team Cup is back, and it’s bringing the excitement. This ONE-DAY Level 5 16s and 18s team tournament is your chance to build your own co-ed team and compete in a fun, high-energy event with your friends.
A designated team captain will create the roster with a minimum of two boys and two girls (maximum three boys and three girls – you may do two boys and three girls or three boys and two girls as well) for singles and doubles play. Lunch, shirts, and awards will be provided for ALL participants.
Both 16s and 18s will play on April 18th at Marina High School. Don’t miss out—start assembling your dream team now!
College Knowledge
Come join us on March 27th for a College Knowledge session at University of Southern California to learn more about the pathway to college tennis.
The event will feature a USC vs UCLA women’s dual match at 2 PM, followed by a panel discussion at 5 PM in Bashor Lounge (near Marks Tennis Stadium) featuring Iris Berkley from College Bound and hosted by Paul Annacone.
The evening will conclude with a Friday Night Lights doubles clinic from 6-7:30 PM. Entry is $40 per player and includes admission for one parent to attend the panel discussion.
Kramer Future Champions Scholarship Closes Soon!
The Kramer Future Champions Scholarship Grant application is closing on February 28th.
The grant supports Southern California junior players between the ages of 8 to 18 who aspire to play college or professional tennis, show significant promise, and demonstrate financial need to compete in sectional or national tournaments.
For questions, please email Linda Milan at lmilan@sctafoundation.org.
Novo Nordisk Donnelly Scholarship
Two National ($15,000) and ten Regional ($7,500) awards are available to high school students and those currently enrolled in college who have excelled in academics and tennis, have strong leadership and community involvement, and have been affected by diabetes. This scholarship is named in honor of Tracey Donnelly Maltby and Diane Donnelly Stone, who, along with their late father, Bud Donnelly, all played Division 1 collegiate tennis while living with Type 1 Diabetes.
To apply, you must be impacted by diabetes and play tennis. Applications are due on March 15, 2026 at 11:59PM ET.
If you have questions, please email scholarships@usta.com.
Team SoCal Junior Parent Webinar
Our next virtual Junior Parent Webinar will be held on March 18th at 6:30 PM.
The session, titled “Mental and Physical Prep for Tournaments,” will feature Debbie Graham (former top 35 WTA player) and Alex Menichini (author of Unseen Advantage), and will be hosted by Paul Annacone (former top 12 ATP player).
Discounted Level 7 Tournaments
In an effort to provide play and tournament opportunities in underserved areas, USTA Southern California has added a number of discounted Level 7 tournaments across the region. These tournaments are nearly free; once players play the tournament to completion, they will receive a refund minus fees (approximately $4.25).
Below is the 2026 schedule registration links as available:
– April 11-12: Cypress High School
– May 16: Palm Desert Resort
– June 13-14: Irvine Valley College
– July 4-5: Warner Tennis Center, Woodland Hills
– August 16: Cal State Northridge
– September 20: Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo
– November 14-15: Lakewood Tennis Center
Additional dates will be announced as they are confirmed. Register early to secure your spot!
Level Up Your Game with 10 & Under Early Development Camps!
USTA Southern California Early Development Camps are the first step in the USTA Player Development Pathway. Our goal is to bring together SoCal 10 & under players who currently compete in Junior Circuit tournaments so they can practice and play together. Early Development Camps are developed by the USTA High Performance Player Development team and utilize local USTA trained coaches.
These two-day camps emphasize fundamentals and overall athletic development in a fun, educational environment while giving players an opportunity to earn PlayTracker points through match play. Players with excellent work ethic, commitment, talent, and attitude are encouraged to participate.
Register for upcoming Early Development Camps below. It’s the perfect chance to level up your game!
– February 28-March 1 at Cal State LA
– March 21-22 at the Claremont Club
– March 28-29 at Palos Verdes Tennis Club
Sportsmanship Corner
> PARENT INVOLVEMENT: IT’S TIME TO “JUST STOP IT”
We get it. You want your player to win. But there is a fine line between being a supportive parent and becoming the main character of the tournament.
Lately, that line has been getting a bit blurry. To keep the Junior Tournaments a place where kids actually want to play, we need to talk about the sidelines.
> ARE YOU “THAT” PARENT? (A QUICK SIDELINE STAT-CHECK)
Take a second to reflect on your last tournament. Did you:
– Play Human Binoculars? Squinting at a baseline 60 feet away to “verify” a call your kid or the opponent already made.
– Master “Stealth” Coaching? Using aggressive nodding, hand signals, or “the stare” during changeovers.
– The “Bathroom Break” Briefing? Attempting to communicate or give strategy to your player during a bathroom break or medical timeout. Remember: If they are off-court, they are still in the match. No talking.
– The Sarcastic Clap? Applauding when an 11-year-old opponent hits a double fault or nets a sitter.
– Shadow the Official? Getting on a first-name basis with the Tournament Director because you’ve lodged three complaints before noon.
> THE HARD TRUTH: YOU’RE ROBBING THE “GROWTH MOMENT”
When parents intervene (whether by arguing with officials or “helping” with line calls), it actually backfires. Junior tennis isn’t just about the trophy; it’s about learning to solve problems under pressure.
Every time you jump over the fence (metaphorically or literally) to fix a situation, you rob your child of the chance to develop their own voice and resilience. You’re not “protecting” them; you’re slowing down their growth.
> THE BIGGER PICTURE: SPORTSMANSHIP IS A SKILL
At the end of the day, tennis is a vehicle for character. We aren’t just building players; we’re building people.
– Integrity Over Trophies: A win earned through gamesmanship or sideline intimidation isn’t a real win.
– SoCal Class: Real sportsmanship means competing with 100% intensity while maintaining 100% respect for the opponent and the officials.
– Your Shadow: Your child is watching how you handle a loss or a bad call from the fence. If you show grace and composure, they will too.
> YOUR NEW JOB DESCRIPTION
In the world of USTA SoCal, your player is the CEO of the Court. The official is the Judge. That leaves you with the most important role: The Head of Logistics & Mental Health.
– The Official’s Job: To be human and do their best. (Leave them alone.)
– The Opponent’s Job: To compete. (Respect them.)
– Your Job: Providing the snacks, the ride home, and the unconditional “I love to watch you play” regardless of the score.
The Bottom Line: Let the kids play, let the officials call it, and let’s make SoCal tournaments the gold standard for class and sportsmanship.
Recent Junior Results
Congratulations to our top finishers at our recent USTA Southern California Level 3 and Level 4 Tournaments!
> LEVEL 3 – HENRY TALBERT
– Boys’ 18 Singles: Brayden Tallakson def. Adrien Abarca
– Boys’ 16 Singles: Mayurchandra Bharath def. Kamden Harden
– Boys’ 14 Singles: Jerry Qi def. Christian Pohoski
– Boys’ 12 Singles: Jaden Joyner def. Kuai Reed
– Girls’ 18 Singles: Delaney Letzel def. Mingyue Deng
– Girls’ 16 Singles: Valerie Machikawa def. Emery June Martin
– Girls’ 14 Singles: Melody Lee def. Victoria Park
– Girls’ 12 Singles: Emanuela Trenet def. Cordelia Skye
> LEVEL 4 GREAT PARK IRVINE
– Boys’ 16 Singles: Andy Wu def. Brandon Duan
– Boys’ 12 Singles: Henrik Khemiy def. Gaelan Thompson-Healy
– Girls’ 16 Singles: Sophia Lee def. Valerie Machikawa
– Girls’ 12 Singles: Kira Elliott def. Melody Li
– Boys’ 16 Doubles: Andy Wu/Asher Yuan def. Brandon Duan/Brian Duan
– Boys’ 12 Doubles: Patrick Hopkins/Benjamin Foreman def. Mathias Simon/Harvey Baek
– Girls’ 16 Doubles: Keira Dean/Damahria Clark def. Romi D’Amore/Ava Duron
– Girls’ 12 Doubles: Eva Yang/Melody Li def. Kira Elliott/Isabella Ball
> LEVEL 4 – LAGUNA NIGUEL RACQUET CLUB
– Boys’ 18 Singles: Alex Croitoru def. Nicholas Lilov
– Boys’ 14 Singles: Daksh Bhardwaj def. Arya Salami
– Girls’ 18 Singles: Delaney Letzel def. Victoria Wang
– Girls’ 14 Singles: Kareena Cross def. Danielle Han
– Boys’ 18 Doubles: Advaith Surabhi/Kaiden Somaratne def. Michael Geffre/Andreas Udall
– Boys’ 14 Doubles: London Slaton/James Borchard def. Chris Deng/Daksh Bhardwaj
– Girls’ 18 Doubles: Gwyneth Britton/Kiana Huerta def. Carolyn Hu/Isabelle Nguyen
– Girls’ 14 Doubles: Elizabeth Jayich/Danielle Han def. Madison Mann/Brynn Patterson
> LEVEL 4 – LONG BEACH
– Boys’ 18 Singles: Alex Croitoru def. Kimi Basamakov
– Boys’ 16 Singles: Brandon Duan def. Ryan Valencia
– Boys’ 14 Singles: Daksh Bharadwaj def. Benjamin Inukai
– Boys’ 12 Singles: Patrick Hopkins def. Pavel Abadzhev
– Girls’ 18 Singles: Aubrey Meis def. Myna Medicetty
– Girls’ 16 Singles: Charlotte Kim def. Valerie Machikawa
– Girls’ 14 Singles: Lyla Qian def. Tiffany Urtis
– Girls’ 12 Singles: Kira Elliott def. Malee Coupal
– Boys’ 18 Doubles: Nikhil Bommaiah/Paxton Au def. Andreas Udall/Taylor Jenkins
– Boys’ 16 Doubles: Aaron Chung/Mason Tran def. Tyler Fugier/Sosuke Hanawa
– Boys’ 14 Doubles: London Slaton/Taiki Bortolin def. Emry Lin/Broderick Ng
– Boys’ 12 Doubles: Pavel Abadzhev/Benjamin Foreman def. Anthony Gallo/Gaelan Thompson-Healy
– Girls’ 18 Doubles: Kiana Huerta/Myna Medicetty def. Mandy Oliveros/Anika Guniganti
– Girls’ 16 Doubles: Valerie Machikawa/Madelyne Naslund def. Damahria Clark/Keira Dean
– Girls’ 14 Doubles: Suzanne Kang/Alivia Liu def. Lucy Jiang/Grace Malhotra
– Girls’ 12 Doubles: Yuna Guo/Melody Li def. Isabella Ball/Kira Elliott
We Are Here to Support You
> PARENT RESOURCES: We are here to support you. Explore guides on tennis etiquette, sportsmanship, SafePlay, frequently asked questions, and more to help you and your player succeed. View them HERE.
> MEDALLIA: After every tournament, you should be receiving a tournament survey from Medallia. Please take a moment to fill out the survey(s). It’s very important when it comes time for the staff and Junior Comp Committee to award new bids and it also helps us improve our tournaments. Responses will remain confidential.
> VIEW PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS: Missed the past newsletter? View the archives HERE.
> JUNIOR FORMS & INFORMATION: Need details on USTA National Junior Tournaments, Wild Card Quota Criteria, or Team SoCal selection? Find all that, and more, on our website HERE.
> BECOME A USTA OFFICIAL: Want to help keep tournaments fair and fun? We are looking for certified officials at every level from local matches to professional events. Opportunities include Roving Umpire, Line Umpire, Referee, and Chair Umpire. GET STARTED.
Tournament Schedule
CLICK HERE FOR THE MARCH 2026 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE!
More tournaments may be added if there is a need for them so please check the USTA website for the most up-to-date information.
Deadlines are staggered by level so please make sure you are not double entering in tournaments.
