Tournaments in the Midwest:

Entering a tournament is a fantastic way to build experience with paddle. Here are nine chances to enter a tournament this season!

Most paddle tournaments include a consolation backdraw and a "last chance" which gives even the less successful team three chances to enjoy the sport. The structure varies by tournament, but there are often a set of brackets for older players (e.g. combined age greater than 115).

The Chicago Platform Tennis League holds five major tournaments each season. These are played at various north shore clubs and make a great way to spend a weekend.

1. The Chicago Charities, October 31 - November 2, is the most significant.
2003 Chicago Charities Entry Form.doc

2. The Illinois Men's Intermediate is held November 15-16 and is one of the tournaments geared to "ordinary mortals".

3. The Men's Series 5-7, Series 8-10, and Series 11-12 Tournaments will be held January 10-11.

4. The Illinois State Men's & Women's will be held March 13-14.




Believe it or not, there are also other midwestern tournaments:


5. The Milwaukee Championship will be held October 17-19. It's an easy drive and about 2 hours each way.

Here's the entry form:
Milwaukee 2003 Paddle Entry Form.doc

6. The Springfield, IL Open will be held December 6-7.

7. The Cincinnatti Open touranment will be January 16-18.

8. The St Louis Open is scheduled for February 6-8.

9. The Indianapolis Open will be held February 20-22.

There is no excuse to be a couch potato this winter!n The APTA web site has a list of hundreds of other tournaments around the country: http://www.platformtennis.org/schedule/