YMCA Teams to Compete in 50 and Over Sectional League Championships in Orlando

The Marco YMCA will be sending teams in both the Women’s 50 and Over 6.5 Combo and the Women’s 50 and Over 7.5 Combo divisions to the USTA sectional league championships at the USTA national campus in Orlando. The tournament will be held February 4 through February 6, 2022.

The ladies had to win their local leagues in order to advance to the sectional championships.

The Marco YMCA ladies have been mainstays at the sectional championships. The 6.5 team won sectional championships in back-to-back years, 2015 and 2016. They have been to the sectionals every year since 2013, except for 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. This year, the same 6.5 team won locally in the spring and summer, so only one team advances to the sectional tournament.

“It’s not just the state’s championship,” said Karen Lewis, the 6.5 team captain, "it’s the sectional championship,”

Lewis has captained the 6.5 Combo Team for 10 years. She said that the Florida sectional championship is unique because Florida has its own sectional tournament since the state has so many players. Other sectional tournaments are comprised of several states.

"The teams we’re going to play are the best teams in the state,” Lewis said. "We go up against some really good competition, but we’ve got a really good team going this year. We have a chance to maybe win it a third time.”

The USTA rates its players from 1.0, a player who is just starting to play tennis, to 7.0, a world-class player. The ratings are in half point increments. In combo leagues, players with slightly different ratings can play together. For example, a 3.0 and a 3.5 player can play together in a 6.5 combo league, because their combined ratings do not exceed 6.5. Tournament play ends at the sectional level for combo league teams.

"There is no national championship in the combo divisions,” Lewis said. "I’m just thankful that I have such a great group of girls. They’re all so easy to work with. They never complain. They always say, ‘I’ll play wherever you want me to and whoever you want me to play with.' That’s why I’ve continued to captain because it’s not an easy job. I tell my girls when they go out on the court, ‘Winning is good, but remember that playing is a blessing.'"

A 7.5 team from Marco has advanced to the sectional tournament every year since 2017. This year the Marco YMCA is sending two teams to the sectional tournament, a spring team and a summer team. Players cannot play on both teams.

“We’re excited to be representing the Marco YMCA,” said Bernadette DiPino, captain of the 7.5 spring team. “We have two teams going. The spring and summer teams."  

“We’re a combination of 4.0 and 3.5 women,” said Andrea Washak, captain of the 7.5 summer team. "We have been there every year since 2017."

“There’s 100 courts,” DiPino added, “it’s an amazing facility. It’s quite a privilege for us to be going and to represent our area. We’re all excited. We’re excited to play together and have some fun, competitive tennis. The good thing about our teams is that we’re all friends. We do things outside of tennis, too. It’s a great group of ladies. They’re all good competitors, but they’re also ethical. They make good calls, and they play well together.”

“We even travel together!” Washak said.