Girls Season Info – Southwest Tennis

Southwest Girls Tennis Information Fall 2024

The 2024 Minnesota girls high school regular tennis season lasts from Monday August 12th to Friday October 4th. The Minneapolis Southwest girls high school tennis team consists of 3 teams: varsity, junior varsity (JV) and the B-squad. Players will have the choice of trying out for varsity, trying out for JV, or electing to be on the B-Squad. Teams will be decided by Thursday August 15th and individual team practices will begin Friday August 16th. We ask all players to please fill out this Google Form as soon as possible, letting us know which team you plan to try out for/elect to be on, which will allow us to better organize tryouts. Please read below about each of the three teams to help you make your decision.

Southwest Tennis is a no-cut program. In 2023 we had a total of 52 players participate in the Southwest Girls tennis program. 12 Varsity Players, 19 JV White players and 22 JV Purple players.

If you are interested in playing tennis in Fall of 2024 send us an email at swgirlstennis@gmail.com. We will add you to our communication list for any off-season tennis opportunities, August captains practice & tryout schedules.

TRYOUTS: Monday, August 12th – Thursday, August 15th

All players will meet at Linden Hills on Monday August 12th, but will be split up between LH and PP to be able to run tryouts more efficiently. Transportation will be provided to Pershing Park.

Varsity tryouts: 9-11:30
JV tryouts: 11-1:30
B-Squad practice: 11-1:30

CAPTAINS PRACTICE

Varsity captains, Brooke and Lia, will be hosting several captains’ practices at the newly resurfaced Linden Hills tennis courts over the summer. These practices, while not mandatory, are a great way for players to get out on the court, meet/reconnect with their teammates and prepare for the season together. Follow southwestgirls.tennis on Instagram for the latest info and to RSVP for each practice. Additional captains’ practices may be scheduled.

Saturday, July 13th 4:00 – 5:30
Sunday, July 14th 4:00-5:30
Friday, July 26th 2:00 – 3:30
Sunday, August 4th – Wednesday, August 7th 2:00-4:00

VARSITY

Varsity is the highest level team. Players trying out for varsity should play competitive tennis year-round a minimum of two times per week. Players should have matchplay/tournament experience and consider tennis one of their favorite sports. Players who want to play on the varsity team must be at tryouts for the week of August 12th. Tennis should be the top priority from August-October for players trying out for varsity.

Coach: Malini

Tryouts: 9-11:30 August 12th-15th
Practice August 16th until school starts: 10am-12pm Linden Hills
Practice once school starts: 3:30-5 Linden Hills
Matches: 2-3x/week

*The varsity team will be taking the top 12 players at tryouts regardless of whether players have previously been on varsity or not.

**All varsity players must be available for an out-of-town trip Monday August 19th – Wednesday August 21st.

***The varsity season extends beyond Friday October 4th depending on how far the team and individual players advance in the section/state tournaments. The season will extend no longer than the end of October.

JUNIOR VARSITY

JV is the second highest level team. Players trying out for JV should have previous tennis experience and have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the game as well as scoring. If players have other commitments during the tennis season that will conflict with practices/matches, such as being in the school band or playing another sport, they should try out for JV or elect to be on the B-squad.

Coach: Lauren

Tryouts: 11-1:30 August 12th-15th
Practice August 16th until August 28th starts: 10am-12pm Pershing Park
Starting August 29th practice will be: 3:30-5 Pershing Park
Matches: 1-3x/week

B-SQUAD

The B-squad is our developmental team. No tennis experience is required for those electing to be on the B-Squad, just an interest in the game and a willingness to learn!

Coach: Dan

Tryouts: 11-1:30 August 12th-15th
Practice August 16th until school starts: 12-2pm Linden Hills
Practice once school starts: 5-6:30 Linden Hills
Matches: 1-2x/week

TEAM COMMUNICATION

We use TeamSnap for all scheduling. Expect to have practice or matches every day of the week with the possibility of a tournament on Saturdays. It is very important you monitor TeamSnap—fall weather can change quickly and we send out schedule changes via TeamSnap only.

MATCHES

Each team has several matches scheduled throughout the season. 10 players are in the starting line-up for each match (4 singles, 3 doubles), but there are usually exhibition matches as well. Coaches will tell players the line-up in advance or at the match. All players are expected to show up ready to play, unless they have spoken with the coach in advance about a conflict.

MATCH SNACKS

We ask that families provide snacks for your team at least once during the season. Snack sign-ups will bee arranged by each team. Suggested snack options: bananas, apples or oranges, trail mix, Cliff or other protein bars, Gatorade or chocolate milk. You don’t have to bring a meal—but something to fuel them up before their match. You’ll know the count of players for your team—and it doesn’t hurt to have enough for coaches, too. Please bring snack 30 minutes early to the match.

EARLY RELEASE

Players are not given early release for practice. Depending on match times, players are given early release to make sure they can either catch the bus for away matches or make it to a home match 30 minutes prior. The coaches have given the SW Athletic Director a list of players for early release for each match. No note is necessary for Southwest students. We recommend you alert your teacher(s) prior to missing class.