From Juniors to Men’s 5.5

mississippi (A) TEAM PLAYED TOGETHER 20+ YEARS

By Amanda Tobin, Gina Marano and Jennifer Pollack/USTA Southern

Amanda Tobin/USTA Southern

Born and raised in Mississippi, these true Southern gentlemen have grown up together through juniors, college and now USTA League Tennis competition.

Each team member has a unique personality. When asked to describe themselves as a character on a reality television show, they thought they would be most likely cast on “The Bachelorette.” They have all your classic roles with the romantic, the cheese ball, the cool guy, the hot-tempered one, the confident one, the pretty boy with California style and the quiet one. Combine these personalities over 20-plus years and you have a team who isn’t afraid to call each other out but also have each others’ back.

This team worked their way up through the USTA juniors tournaments and most played in college -- two at Mississippi State, three at Ole Miss, one at Samford and one at Bellhaven. They describe themselves as being friendly rivals during juniors because they traveled together to the tournaments but most likely would be playing against each other. The rivalries continued for the five guys that went on to play as Bulldogs or Rebels but most parted ways during college. Their collegiate careers flew by and, before they knew it, all of the guys were back together again in Jackson, MS.

In 2003, this team started out playing as Men’s 5.0s and were widely successful. They destroyed the competition all the way through the USTA League Southern Section Championships and making it to the National tournament. Their first year of success resulted in a bump-up to 5.5, where they continue to prevail over the Mississippi competition. Their success comes from their dedication, which begins in April with practices aimed at preparing them for this tournament. Each year they look forward to having a “boy’s trip” where they play four days of competitive tennis, go out for a few beers and have a good ole time.

With so much time together, the team has created many memories they remember and others they would like to forget. Hopefully the Birmingham weather is not too hot and doesn’t result in another unspoken memory such as captain Luke Chamblee’s dehydration in Charleston. Unfortunately, the poor fella had to be carried off the court on a stretcher. With muscles cramping, four of his comrades were at his side, massaging away the aches and pains. This is just one example of the type of camaraderie and dedication between this team has on and off the court.

Chamblee admitted that not all of the team’s success and memories stem from their athletic talents. As he stated, “We really appreciate the USTA and all of the hard work they have done. We would like to thank them for the fabulous job year in and year out. We have experienced wonderful tennis since 2003.”