OCR Text |
Show Backseat Driving 1 By FRANK RV BAKER '' Telegram Sparta Editor This is the time of year, although it is far removed from the competitive season, when tennis officials can get in some of their best preparatory work, and the local officials certainly aren't dozing at their posts. From Dave Freed, ior example, comes word that lot of new communities will undoubtedly be included in the Pardoe cup program next summer. As secretary ol the Intermountain Tennis association, Freed Is in a fine position to visualize the possibilities of this junior program, which had modest start between Provo, Logan, Ogden 'and Salt Lake City teams. The circuit boasted eight teams last summer, including two from Salt Lake City, and Freed now says that he "wouldn't be surprised sur-prised to see the league expand to 12 or 16 teams during the next few years." Lett!, Orem and Kaysville, with its talent from all of Davis county, joined the circuit last year. Nearly a doxen other communities have voiced an interest in the program since the net season closed. Some of thatn, like Murray, Draper, Price, Vernal, Tremonton, Brighant City, American Fork, Payson, Nephi, Dividend and Bingham, Bing-ham, could probably be ready to enter a team next season sea-son if a little promotion work were carried out during the next two or three months. To qualify for a place in the league, the new clubs must affiliate with the United States Lawn Tennis association, as-sociation, have jurisdiction over an acceptable set of courts and be ready to muster a squad of four to seven players. In return, the Intermountain Tennis association will lend some financial aid as part of the junior Davis cup program and otherwise support this method of training and seasoning young players. I j Inaugurated seven years ago by Dr. T. Earl Pardoe, head of B. Y. U.'s speech department, this annual cup series has become one of the most important features of the state's j tennis program. The urge to get into the circuit, as evidenced by inquiries for information from all these communities, shows how eager these young tennia players are to enjoy some form of recognized competition. I Properly regulated, it dovetails beautifully with the ' junior Davis cup set-up. In fact, it gives Utah's young Betters Bet-ters a splendid opportunity to put into practice the very lessons they get from the junior Davis cup instructors, j Splendid as it has been, the Junior Davis cup program, with its mass instruction " and particular attention to the young tournament hopefuls, has been deficient in that ele-ment ele-ment of competition. The eagerness with which the young hopefuls accepted ac-cepted Invitations to play in Pardoe cup matches last summer shows how hungry they were for competition. In fact, it was never a problem to recruit a team, according accord-ing to Bob Goodell, who supervised the two Salt Lake squads and also directed the state program. Instead, it I (Caution a rotlowUs Pass) 1, I I Backseat Driving tCsatkiieed Proea P raced mi Pasa) was always a problem as to who would be picked and who was to be left out. The Salt Lakers have won all seven campaigns. It would perhaps be a good thing if the wealth of talent here could be split up a little more. That was the intention when two teams were organized here last summer, but the locals might still be handicapped a little more in the interests of lively competition. Such a handicap may not long be necessary, however, if the other teams continue to improve. Logan players, for instance, came within one point of winning in straight sets from Salt Lake's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players in one match last year before the locals rallied and pulled out victories. There has been some agitation to enlarge the squads, but I doubt the wisdom of such a proposal. The teams now play three singles and two doubles matches, with the assignments assign-ments arranged to suit the individual teams. That means a minimum of four players the two doubles teams, who also can handle the singles assignments or a maximum of seven menbrdinarily, four or five men round out a squad, which is convenient for a traveling squad, too, inasmuch as all the players ran ride in one car. One doesn't expect another doxen new teams to leap Into the competition next spring, but one can see a definite defi-nite upturn in the interest throughout the state. All in all, it should be a fine thing for intermountain tennis. - ' |