The Upper Main Line YMCA (UMLY) 8.0 mixed doubles tennis team went undefeated this past weekend at the Middle States Sectional Championships held in Landisville, PA. The team was competing as the representatives of the Philadelphia Area Tennis District at the Championships.

The team will now move on to represent the Middle States and UMLY at the National Championships in Arizona in October 2021. 

The team captains Kathy Steinway, Chris Powell and Quang Nguyen, who jointly captain the UMLY United 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 mixed teams, began their captaining journey in late fall 2019 with a challenging season. Fast forward to just twenty months later the 8.0 team swept the sectionals championships to qualify for nationals.

“It’s always been about a collective spirit,” said Kathy. “If we lose, we lose as a team. We are always there to support each other. And when we win, we celebrate as a team.”

“We are so proud of all our teams,” says Quang. “Last weekend was an amazing few days but none of it would have been possible without the continued dedication and support from all our players. UMLY has always encouraged us to continue to grow and develop, it has been a great place to play and meet new people.” 

Many in the group were introduced to tennis at UMLY through the various clinics that are run throughout the week, and on the weekends. These clinics incorporate a wide variety of levels and abilities, while being informative and fun. 

“At the heart of the program is a team of people who love the game of tennis, enjoy each other’s company and have always been committed to improving and building strong partnerships on the court,” says Chris. 

The team has already begun preparing for Nationals, and we at UMLY wish them the best of luck in the challenge ahead!

Whether you are a skilled player or just picking up a racquet for the first time – at any age - there is something for everyone at the UMLY tennis program. The program offers something for all ages and abilities from tiny tennis to high-performance tennis and from recreational play to private lessons. Anyone interested in learning more about offerings should visit ymcagbw.org/tennis. 

Group Photo (L to R):
Craig Miller, Annica Edstrom, Becca Perkins, Helena Malarkey, Quang Nguyen (captain), Min Lubiniecki, Kathy Steinway (captain), Sasha Kannan, Kai Czubryt-Ogino, Markus Edstrom, Chris Powell (captain). (Not pictured: Andy Chung, Stephen Penwell, Gursharan Kang)