The North South League

The North South League is a winter junior league, which uses a team tennis format and is played on weekends. The team competition features 8 players per club playing both singles and doubles NCAA style with a few unique rules. For one, players are able to coach each other during matches. The value of this feature became evident in the finals when teammates rallied around certain players needing that extra motivation, push or tactical advantage.

Johnny Glanville of Simcoe Tennis and Barrie North Winter Tennis founded the league in 2014 and continues to coordinate the league. In its first year there were 9 clubs involved. Johnny’s home club in Barrie had a team (The Skyhawks) in the Under 18 A division and another in the U14 B Division. The Skyhawks won the Under 18 team league finals in the inaugural season and in the second season.

The league has recently completed its third season. It has grown to 22 teams and involves approximately 175 players playing in three divisions, under 18, under 12 and under 10. Because the clubs involved in the league cover a wide geographic area from Thornhill in the South to Headwaters in the West to Collingwood in the North, teams are organized into area conferences where there are sufficient teams. The under 10 division uses shorter courts and softer balls and was a new division for the league this season.

In its virgin season the U10 Division title went to Thornhill who defeated The Skyhawks (Barrie) with a 9-1-2 win in the finals. The final was a rematch from earlier in the season where The Skyhawks handed Thornhill their only regular season loss.

In the U12 division it was Thornhill again defeating Barrie 9-3. The win gave Thornhill two of the three division titles and will allow them to display the team trophies in their clubhouse until next year.

In the U18 division Newmarket made quick work of Barrie in the semis with a 9-3 win, while Veneto bowed out to Headwaters in the other semi, setting up a Headwaters v. Newmarket final which was played at the new MRTC (Marilyn Redvers Tennis Centre) in Aurora. It was Newmarket who prevailed 8-4, ending a two year run for The Skyhawks in that division.

If you would like to get involved in the league or have any questions please contact Johnny Glanville at 705 716-3198 or via email at johnny@simcoetennis.ca.

Congratulations go to all the participating clubs on a great season, and a big thank you goes to all the coaches, administrators and parents for their support.