USTA Southern California has named Mark McCampbell of Ventura County as the February 2023 Tournament Director of the Month. If you have played tennis in Ventura County in the last 25 years you know Mark McCampbell. He grew up playing tennis throughout the local area with a very active tennis family. Mark learned at an early age how to run tennis tournaments. His father, Bob McCampbell, ran local tournaments and had a pro shop, while his brother John is still a popular tennis coach at the Malibu Racquet Club. Mark had a very successful competitive junior and college tennis career. He began his ..read more

It is hard enough to maintain a pristine academic record as a student today, and just as impressive to be a promising junior tennis player. To do both at a very high level is more than doubly impressive, and Newport Coast’s Ryan Honary is a prime example of this. Ryan is a gifted scientist who has been working on a potentially life-saving technology to combat a problem that is all too familiar in Southern California. Alongside his burgeoning career as a scientist, the 14-year-old also exercises his mind and body on the tennis court and is a rising junior player with big plans in the worlds of ..read more

February 1 is National Signing Day, a monumental day for juniors across Southern California and the nation. After months (if not years) of vetting, touring, recruiting, and contemplating, it’s time for many student-athletes to determine where they will be headed this fall to begin their college careers. Numerous #TeamSoCal juniors are set to join Ivy League schools this year, including three incoming Stanford Cardinals and three Princeton Tigers. Locally, and as many as seven players will join University of California schools, headlined by four new additions to the University of California, Da ..read more

In her first year as the head coach of the program, Mater Dei Head Coach Debbie Shaffer had to not only settle into her new role but also manage the high expectations of the girls’ team and juggle a few unexpected twists throughout the season. In the end, the best of circumstances – Mater Dei High School’s girls tennis team posted a stellar season and capped it off with their very first CIF State Championship. When Shaffer looked at the season ahead, she knew she had a team that had a lot of potential but was challenged with getting the entire team on board. “Tournament players generally want ..read more

They are as known for their first names as they are for their tennis, but that tide is beginning to shift as Champion and Winner Okey further establish themselves at the height of their junior tennis careers. While the 15-year-old twins from Irvine are on the verge of major career decisions that determine their immediate futures in the game, it is all too clear that they remain on course for great things, with just a little bit of sibling rivalry to spice things up a bit. Despite the default expectation that they’d naturally make a dynamic doubles team, and the optics that reflect the legendar ..read more

It’s a milestone that three local players will remember for a long time to come. Last month, Fallbrook’s Emily Deming and Alyssa Ahn of San Diego won their first career ITF title at the Barnes Tennis Center Junior Open in the G18 Doubles category. Also lifting his maiden ITF title, local standout Trevor Svajda won the ITF J5 tournament at Barnes over the same weekend, marking a trophy studded week for #TeamSoCal. Both Deming and Ahn were extremely excited to break through. “It feels amazing to win my first ITF doubles title,” said Deming. “It was so great to play against some of the best playe ..read more

Each year, the USTA Foundation sponsors an essay contest for youngsters ages 10-18 involved in NJTL programming nationwide. In 2022, entrants were asked to describe how tennis best reflects confidence, character, sportsmanship, and teamwork. For her winning essay among 10-year-olds, SoCal’s Jayara White and her father were awarded a trip to New York City as VIP guests and received a special award at a luncheon held in their honor. In her essay, Jayara details some of the experiences as part of the Pete Brown Junior Tennis program. “All of my experiences with my NJTL chapter have been interesti ..read more

Former Junior Sectionals champion and Orange Bowl titlist Iva Jovic has emerged on the global scene as part of Team USA’s entry in the 2022 Junior Billie Jean Cup tournament (formerly Fed Cup). The team was victorious in the finals in Turkey, marking yet another step in the development of one of SoCal’s top junior competitors. “To wear the red, white, and blue jersey, it’s really special,” said Torrance’s Jovic, who helped the team sweep their opponents in round-robin play, collectively losing only one set before moving on to secure Team USA’s seventh junior Cup title. “Tennis is such an indiv ..read more

There was lots of hardware handed out over the weekend as both adult and junior competition culminated the 2022 Signature Series schedule. In Orange County, a host of adults earned sectional titles while juniors vied for the top spot in the annual Final 8 Junior Masters in Rancho Mirage. Nicolas Calixto and Daniela Borruel were top winners in the 18s divisions at Rancho Mirage, where the USTA SoCal + Universal Tennis Junior Masters Championships concluded at Rancho Las Palmas Country Club. G16: Johannah Galindo B16: AJ Abarca G14: Brooke Kwon B14: Tyler Lee G12: Valerie Machikawa B12: Takuto G ..read more

With so many ways to enjoy the sport of tennis, many junior players might focus solely on tournament play, college tennis, or even starting a pro career early. However, in the midst of all these competitive endeavors, there is a special place that high school tennis occupies. Portola High School is a remarkable example of the joy and spirit that can arise from high school tennis. After winning their first Pacific Coast title in the history of the program, the Portola girls will compete for a state championship for the first time ever this Friday. Portola High School opened in 2016, and Natasha ..read more