The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-05

By action of the delegates at the an nual meeting of the United States Ma tional Lawn Tennis association held re- gently in New York, Birmingham was designated a tennis center. This means that Birmingham will have an important part in the nationwide campaign under taken by the national association to fur ther the development of young tennis players.
 At the annual meeting of 1916 the as sociation made a beginning when it au- thorized a series of preliminary and sec tional tournaments for juniors and boys,
 eliminating in tournaments for the na- tional cha1Dpiona1 championship of each class The national events were held at Forest Hills during the national cham pionship, the idea being that the young sters would thus have a fine chance to see the best players in the country In action and pick up many valuable point CTS as to style of play, tactics on the court, etc.
 The result exceeded the expectations of those who fathered the idea, for more than 90 events for youngsters were sane toned with more than 1700 boys and Ju-
 niors competing. This was such cor dial indorsement that plans were imme- diately undertaken to broaden the scope | of competition this season. By its action at the annual meeting the United States I National Lawn Tennis association adopts | a policy which no governing body in the | field of sport has surpassed-in making
 competition for beginners, eliminating in
 national championships. available for boys all over the country.
 JOURNEYS CAN BE GIVEN 1 Any club, college or park association
 affiliated with the national body can give a tournament under official sanc- 1 tion of the United States National Lawn Tennis associat tion. Winners of these
 events thereby become eligible to com pete in tournaments to be held in more
 than 50 cities throughout the United States designated as tennis centers. The winners of these tennis center tourna- ments are thus made eligible to compete
 for the national boys championship or the national junior championship, in tour naments that will be held at Forest Hills Long Island, during the week of the na- tional singles championship which begins | August 30.
 l A player may enter as many prelimi- nary events as he choSes, but he may l compete in only one tennis center tourna-
 ment The age limit for boys is 16 years,
 and for juniors 19 years, a reduction in each case of one year from the require ments set last season. The ruling of the association is that a player is eligible who does not reach his nineteenth or six
 teenth birthday. as the case may be, on
 or before October in the year of compe- | tition.
 l Regulations governing junior and boys 1 tournaments are: Competition for the national junior and national boys cham picnships of the United States is planned | on a series of elimination contests. These
 shall begin with preliminary tournaments whose winners only shall be eligible to compete for district championships in 5s I cities designated by the United States l National Lawn Tennis association as ten his centers. Winners of these district
 (tennis center) events shall be eligible | to compete for the national title, the same plan applying to both junior and boys. l Any club, college or park association, member directly or indirectly of the United States National Lawn Tennis as sociatiop, may give preliminary sanc- toned tournaments
 No dues are required by the United States National Lawn Tennis association 1 other than the regular dues (f any) o1 the organization giving the event.
 1 Sanction must be obtained in the usual manner by application to the field sec retary, Paul B. Williams. 20 Broad street. | New York city.
 i The national irterscholastic champion ship has been discontinued but interscho- lastic tournaments may, like junior tour namerts, be given preliminary to tennis ! center tournaments.
 l JUNIOR JOURNEYS OPEN I Junior tournaments shall be open to boys who are not 19 years old on or be- fore October in the year of competition.
 Interscholastic tournaments shall be open to boys complying with this age limit, and who are also attending schools preparing for college. Winners of inter-
 schola stic tournaments shall be eligible
 to compete in any one district Uennis
 center) junior tournament.
 Boys tournaments shall be open to any boys who Ire not 16 years old, on or before octobfr in the year of com
 petition.