The BTC is proud to once again host the Girls' 18 National Championship in partnership with the Claremont Resort & Spa in August of 2008. The Club will be at the very center of Girls18 and under tennis in the United States. The top players from all the sections throughout the country will have an opportunity to show their skills and spirit before eager college coaches and animated spectators. The tournament's winner receives the Maureen Brinker Connelly Trophy for winning the National Championship and demonstrating the highest quality of play, sportsmanship and competitive spirit. That individual will also receive a Wild Card entry into the U.S. Open later in the month. Without a doubt, the highlight event of 2007 was the hosting of the Girls’ 18 National Championships. It was the premiere Junior Girls tennis tournament in the nation and it was the Club’s first effort in putting on an event of such magnitude in many years. The opportunity for Bay Area tennis fans to witness eight days of national caliber tennis at our Club was the product of over ten months of meticulous planning and persistent hard work by National Tennis Championships Tournament Directors and Co-Chairpersons Andrea Norman, Jennifer Pitzen, BTC Director of Tennis Lynne Rolley and the event’s Steering Committee. Co-host Claremont Resort & Spa, the University of California at Berkeley, a long list of generous sponsors, and enthusiastic BTC and community volunteers all played integral parts in the success of this noteworthy event. Proceeds of $5,000 were donated to Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA). YTA is a Bay Area organization dedicated to serving youth in the inner city communities in and around San Francisco and Oakland. It aims to promote physical, educational, and life skills necessary for community leadership by way of offering comprehensive programs of academic tutoring and tennis (the sport gives inherent lessons in discipline, hard work, stress management, problem solving, responsibility and sportsmanship). During this year’s event, over 50 children from the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Oakland came to the BTC to learn about tennis from players, coaches and volunteers. A highlight within the tournament was Billie Jean King’s evening conversation with members and guests in a packed BTC Ballroom on the Friday before the semis and finals. She enthusiastically spoke to the crowd about her personal history and responded with passionate, inspirational answers to questions posed to her from attendees about what the tournament could and should represent to participants both in tennis and in their young lives. Eventual Nationals Singles Champion Ashley Weinhold and Doubles Champions Jamie Hampton and Melanie Oudin were crowned on historic Court One by Billie Jean, to whom the Club bestowed an Honorary Lifetime Membership. All in all, the success of the Girls’ 18 National Championships was a united effort with many indispensable parts working to make the tournament successful. Tennis fans are urged to visit the ustagirls.org website to get an insight into the organization and planning that went into the event. The archived articles describe the event day by day; our own BTC Photo Gallery pages display the event shot by shot. The BTC hit both lines on this first time event. Once again, the Club will host this prestigious tournament in August of 2008 and is in the process of getting U.S.T.A. sanction under the Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation for 2009.
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