Dorian Jefferson is president of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA), which has close to 60,000 adult members and 6,000 juniors. Demographic shifts and economic forces have changed ALTA, Jefferson said, but the overall appeal of tennis in Atlanta remains strong.
ALTA teams are based within a five-county metro area with annexation of teams within 10 miles of this area on a restricted basis. At one point, ALTA membership was above 70,000, but the growth outside of the Atlanta metro area has challenged our membership. There has been a slight decline in membership since 2011, but it’s still very healthy.
As the demographic base has moved further out, for instance into Hall, Forsyth and Cherokee counties, travel time to matches has become increasingly difficult. Traffic extending northward from the top-end perimeter contributes to this difficulty. Some members tell us that we should be more restrictive in our annexation policy to help alleviate travel distance concerns.
The recent economic downturn, gas prices and housing issues have changed the way teams are formed. ALTA used to consist of teams in which the skill level of every player was close. Today fewer players want to commute to participate on a centrally located teams. They tend to stay closer to home, so many more ALTA teams are a blend of players with different levels. People are gravitating more toward tennis in their community and lobbying their homeowners associations to invest in maintaining tennis courts for neighborhood use. The result is that more ALTA teams are neighborhood-oriented with larger rosters.
People who move into the Atlanta area and seek a sport that provides both an opportunity to compete with players of similar ability on a scheduled basis continue to look towards tennis. ALTA continues to provide a platform for team competition in a social environment. I have played ALTA for at least 25 years and believe it to be a sport for all ages.
All indications are that tennis is still one of the top recreational activities in Atlanta. While there was a time when ALTA was the only game in town, people now have additional options for play as an individual or on a team in leagues sponsored by several other organizations. The tennis community is still very vibrant and whether you prefer singles, doubles, scheduled or flex play, there is no better place for tennis than Atlanta and no better bargain than ALTA.
