Butler Junior Tennis reaches another level
BUTLER TWP — The roster numbers keep going up. So is the success of the program.
The Butler Junior Tennis Association is as healthy as its been in years, sporting 60 players ages 5-18 this summer and winning the six-team West Penn League for the first time in program history.
“We’ve been in that league for as long as I can remember, more than 20 years,” third-year BJTA head coach Lexi Chappel said. “I played for Butler Junior Tennis for years growing up, so finally winning the league means a great deal to me.
“It shows how we’re progressing as a program.”
Chappel, a Butler graduate, is entering her senior year at Grove City College, where she plays No. 1 singles and doubles for the women’s tennis team. One of her assistant coaches, Sydney Hanratty, recently graduated from Gannon University and was a high school tennis teammate at Butler.
Hanratty, Jillian Clark, and current BJTA players Andrew Bocci and Ali Smith round out the coaching staff. Bocci and Smith are incoming Butler High School seniors and help work with the younger players.
“I’ve know Sydney since we were 6 years old,” Chappel said.
BJTA tallied 62 points out of a possible 90 in winning the West Penn League. Allegheny Country Club was second with 58 points while Treesdale had 41. Sewickley Area, Wildwood and Butler Country Club are also in the league.
Points are secured through winning junior varsity and varsity matches during league competition. Junior varsity is generally 12-under while varsity is age 13-18.
“I’ve been a part of this program, as a player or coach, every summer for most of my life,” Hanratty said. “Winning the league is a result of all the hard work the coaches and players have put in.”
BJTA had 42 players during Chappel’s first year as head coach. That number expanded to 49 last year before reaching 60 this year. Kids from Butler, Knoch, Seneca Valley, South Butler, Aquinas Academy, Armstrong and Karns City, along with home-schooled youths, are in the program.
“I see no reason why our numbers won’t continue to go up,” Chappel said. “We make it a fun experience for everyone. If you expect the kids to devote time in the summer to this, you have to make it fun.
They’re having good experiences in the program, they tell their friends, others join up ... That’s how we’re growing.”
BJTA held its in-house tournament Wednesday at the Butler High School courts. Michael Albaugh, 11, won the junior varsity tourney with Samuel Marcotullio taking second. Bocci won the varsity tournament with Ben Busler taking second.
“This is my fourth year with the program,” said Busler, the No. 2 singles player for the Golden Tornado. “I was playing tennis with a friend and he told me about it. It’s been a great learning experience and has helped my game.
“Lexi is doing a good job. It’s good instruction and a lot of fun.”
The junior varsity scored a lot of points for BJTA in its run to the West Penn title. Albaugh, 11, and 12-year-old Kam Warheit were a big part of that production.
A Cabot resident, Albaugh is a United States Tennis Association (USTA) player and is in his first year with BJTA.
“I love it,” he said of the program. “I play tennis six or seven days a week. I just like playing and meeting new friends. My down-line forehand is my biggest strength ... I get a lot of satisfaction when I hit that shot.”
Warheit has been playing tennis since age 6. He likes the fact that junior varsity results count as much as the varsity.
“It means that even though we’re little, our matches are just as important,” he said. “We won a lot of matches this year.”
Smith played No. 1 doubles for Butler as a freshman and has been playing singles for the Tornado ever since. She enjoys coaching the younger players and hopes to continue doing so after she graduates high school.
“I think the overall attitude of the team has been the difference this year,” Smith said. “Play is very competitive, yet the approach is laid back at the same time.
“Lexi and the staff provide good instruction along with making it fun. The younger kids are really into it and I enjoy working with them.”
Chappel described the in-house tournament as “a fun day for the team.
“It means a lot to these kids,” she said. “Getting a chance to play at different clubs, different types of courts, it’s a neat experience. Our goal is to get the kids to improve their game and have fun doing it.
“I feel like we’re accomplishing that.”
