USA Team Tennis hits the court at America's public parks. (Tip-Off).

USA Team Tennis is the fastest growing of the United States Tennis Association's community tennis programs, with nearly 350,000 youth participating in 2002, an increase of more than 80 percent since 1998. People of all abilities and backgrounds around the country ages 6-18 enjoy the fun and social benefits of USA Team Tennis, and more of the action is taking place at public parks than anywhere else.

USA Team Tennis is a six- to eight-week program of team practice and match play for boys and girls who want to play tennis as a team. Teams comprise players of similar age and skill, and they compete against other teams from the same geographic region in one of three league divisions: Red (ages 6-12), White (ages 10-14) or Blue (ages 13-18).

Many USA Team Tennis programs are organized and run by local parks and schools. One-third of all USA Team Tennis take place at public parks, with commercial clubs, school courts and college courts accounting for another third. In total, more than 70 percent of all USA Team Tennis takes place at public facilities, while only 18 percent takes place at private clubs. Furthermore, 30 percent of USA Team Tennis coaches are affiliated with public parks or high schools.

Public facilities also play a role in USA Team Tennis on the championship level. Participants in the White and Blue divisions have an opportunity to advance to district and sectional competitions, while Blue Division teams can compete in regional competitions and White Division teams can compete in national competitions.

In 2003, four of the six major USA Team Tennis championships will take place at public tennis facilities, starting with the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games. Fashioned after the Olympics, these Games feature among its 24 sports the USA Team Tennis Blue Division. In 2003, the matches will be played at Plymouth-Salem High School and Churchill High School in Detroit, Mich., both high school tennis courts open the public.

In October, the USA Team Tennis Regional Championships will feature matches at a number of public facilities. The Southeast Regional will take place at the new Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., while the Midwest Regional takes place at Will Rogers Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. Finally, the 2003 USA Team Tennis National Championships will take place at the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson, Ariz., which also hosted the 2002 USA League Tennis National Championships.

For more information about USA Team Tennis programs in your area, visit www.USTA.com.