Happy Thanksgiving; Eddie Herr 12s, 14s, 16s Qualifying Draws; Junior Orange Bowl Acceptances; UVA Plans New Tennis Facility; Crowd Funding for Junior Tennis Player Refugee

photo by Tim Mossholder, via Unsplash.com

Today's post is early, so I can enjoy the Thanksgiving with my family, and I will not be posting on Thursday, but check Tuesday's post for links to the USTA Pro Circuit events that are not taking the week off for the holiday. I'm thankful for your readership and the opportunity I have to cover the sport I love, and it's always important to take a moment to reflect on what we all have to be thankful for.

Beginning Friday, I'll be starting 25 straight days of on-site coverage of junior tennis (I'm exhausted just thinking about it), starting with the Eddie Herr, then the Metropolia Orange Bowl and the Junior Orange Bowl.  Qualifying started today for the 12s, 14s and 16s divisions at the Eddie Herr, and draws can be found here.  Acceptances for the Junior Orange Bowl, which is for U12 and U14 players, were recently posted here.

The University of Virginia will be building a new 12-court outdoor tennis facility at Boar's Head Sports Club, where their current indoor facilities are located, according to this report from the Daily Progress. No dates as to when this construction might be started or completed are given in the article.

And, as we celebrate our gratitude for all that we have, it's an appropriate time to consider the hardships encountered by junior tennis player Oleksandra "Sashka" Oliynykova in her young life. A refugee from Ukraine, now representing Croatia, Oliynykova is seeking funds to continue playing the ITF Junior Circuit. For her story, and how you can help, see this website.