By Mike Clance, Senior Leagues Vice President
Did you know that some ALTA members can start playing in the Senior Leagues at age 44? Well, it’s true! According to the ALTA Adult Rules, Rule I.A, “To be placed on a Senior League roster, a player must be at least 45 years of age within the calendar year….”
Whether your birthday falls on January 1 or December 31 or anywhere between, you can join the Senior Leagues in the calendar year of your 45th birthday! So, why is this important for ALTA members to know?
For many years now, the Senior Leagues have offered ALTA’s “more experienced” members the opportunity to play tennis with other members in the same stages of life. These leagues offer all levels (AA to C) of mixed doubles in the winter and men’s doubles and women’s doubles in the summer.
This age restriction means the Senior Leagues naturally have a smaller pool of players and fewer teams. Based upon 2026 data, ALTA has about 60,000 active members and approximately 30,000 are eligible for the Senior Leagues. Over the past five years, we’ve averaged 13,000 members actively participating in these leagues.
Fewer players and fewer teams mean the Senior Leagues face challenges that the other, larger leagues don’t face. Sometimes the senior teams play in smaller divisions, sometimes they must drive a little further for matches, and we all know that Atlanta traffic can sometimes be a real bear!
With all these challenges, you might ask why ALTA members would want to play senior tennis? That’s easy! Senior Leagues tennis offers the same competitive tennis as ALTA’s other leagues, but with less intensity (most of the time)! Many of the players in these leagues have been playing tennis for years and continue to play out of love for the game and for the sense of camaraderie with their teams. Many of these teams have been together for years, and their matches are social events for the players. And, while Senior League players certainly have no objections to winning matches, they’re at the stage of life where they recognize this is a recreational sport.
So why am I writing about the Senior Leagues now? To encourage you to join the league if you meet the age requirements! As you can see from the numbers above, we have quite a few ALTA members who are eligible. There are various reasons for not joining the Senior Leagues, but I’ve realized over my first six months as league vice president that there is a lack of understanding regarding the age restriction.
Now that you know, you can act! Registration for the Senior Mixed League is coming up. If you have already turned 45 or you’re turning 45 in 2027, consider joining a Senior Leagues team. If you have any questions about the league, feel free to contact me at seniorvp@altatennis.org.
