Junior Round Robin Program 2023-2024 (revised August 2023)
MASQUASH is pleased to announce the plan to resume its Junior Round Program for the 2023-24 season. This series of Sunday afternoon round robins, held at Harvard’s Murr Center, allows beginner/intermediate junior players to play games in a friendly, less competitive environment.
Efforts are made to group the players into “pods” with players of similar ability. Pod 1 is the strongest group – players participate in Silver-level tournaments. Pod 2 players participate in Bronze level tournaments. Pod 3 players show proficiency in volleying return of serves with regularity. Pod 4 players demonstrate they can successfully serve the ball 3 out of 4 times. Pod 5 players – with two serves – can make the serve go in 3 out of 4 times (generally younger players 6-8 years old).
There are two separate sessions held on these Sunday afternoons. We’ll start the season with Pods 1, 2, and 5 playing from 2:00-3:30 pm. Pods 3 and 4 will play from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Depending on the numbers of players registering for each pod, we may shift the playing times of the pods in order to better balance the numbers of players and courts. If appropriate, players may shift pods as the season progresses.
This program is free, with players encouraged to become members of MASQUASH.
To register for the entire 2023-24 season (i.e., you just have to register once – not for each separate session), please send an email to Jon Ross (email below) with the following info: Child’s full name, age, birthday, USSQUASH membership# (if applicable), and pod# where the child should be placed at the start of the season (pod #1-5, see above). Also, please include the parent’s name, email, and phone #.
Due to the recent success of this program, MASQUASH has to limit the number of players that we may accommodate each Sunday, so we have instituted a sign-up process for each individual session. Here’s how it works: At 12:00 noon on the Sunday prior to the scheduled session, parents should send an email to Jon Ross to sign up their child(ren) for the session on the following Sunday. Jon will respond to each email request as follows: The first 15 requests for each pod will be “accepted”, the next five will be “waitlisted” and those that follow will be told the “session is full”. Waitlisted players will be notified if space opens up. Parents whose child is signed up and whose plans change are asked to inform Jon of the change in plans so that he may ask a waitlisted player to join the session.
Also, reminders of the Junior Round Robin program are included in the frequent MASQUASH general email blasts. To receive those, add your name to the MASQUASH general email list. There is a signup box for that on the MASQUASH website.
Volunteers are always needed. Parents are encouraged to help out at the sessions – no prior experience is necessary. Just let the Round Robin site coordinator know when you arrive on the day of play.
Tentative dates for the Junior Round Robin sessions for the 2023-24 season are as follows:
Sunday, October 1
Sunday, November 5
Sunday, January 21, 2023
Sunday, February 11
Sunday, March 3
Sunday, April 7
We look forward to another active season and enjoyable Sunday afternoons!
Jon Ross
for the MASQUASH Junior Committee