The Atlanta Team Tennis Association (ATTA) mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) community and friends of Atlanta.  We are the longtime Atlanta affiliate of the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA) and in 2005 became a Community Tennis Association of USTA Georgia.  ATTA strives to promote social, recreational and healthy competitive tennis through activities including open play, mixers, clinics, singles/doubles ladders, league team play (ALTA** and USTA) and tournaments.  Tennis is played year-round, weather permitting, and ATTA welcomes all participants regardless of sexual orientation.

A few of the activites enjoyed by ATTA members:

• Open Play is a "social" doubles-only tennis activity in which participants play a set and then may mix-and-match partners and/or opponents for the next set.  Arrive alone, in pairs or bring a whole group of friends and sign up in groups of four on the queue listing board to wait for the first open court.  Open Play is generally held on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 to 6:00 at Glenlake Tennis Center in Decatur although sometimes it may begin earlier than 1pm if courts are available.  You may arrive at the courts at any time during Open Play and get worked into the queue and play just a little or all afternoon.  The cost for the afternoon is $5.00 for members, and $10.00 for non-members (first-timers are free) regardless of how many sets you end up playing.  Open Play is an excellent way to meet other ATTA members and, because you may play with members of varying skill levels, a great way to improve your game.  Click "Calendar of Events" link at toolbar to the left or view "Latest News" section of ATTA's home page for the next Open Play date and time.  It's always a good idea to call Glenlake Tennis Center at 404-377-7231 to verify that Open Play is being held due to possible weather delays, holidays or court scheduling conflicts.

• Friday Night Mixers are held intermittently throughout the year at either Dekalb Tennis Center, Glenlake Tennis Center or the Sharon E. Lester Tennis Center in Piedmont Park.  Men and women players mix together in an evening of social and competitive tennis.  You begin on a court with players of similar playing ability and play for 20 minutes, keeping score.  After 20 minutes, the team that is winning moves "up" to a higher court and the team that is losing moves "down" to a lower court and partners split and play with new partners giving the opportunity to meet and play with new people.  These 20 minute cycles continue over the course of the evening until the mixer is over.  Refreshments are occasionally served before, during or after the mixer.  Fees apply.  Check out the "Calendar of Events" for the date/location of the next Friday Night Mixer.

• Singles/Doubles Ladders are conducted from early spring through the middle of fall allowing men and women of similar playing ability to compete against each other for the coveted end-of-season trophies.  Ladder participation is for ATTA members only.  Those becoming ATTA members mid-year may be added to the ladder at the discretion of the ladder coordinator.  Additional information about the ladders can be obtained by clicking here.  There is no additional cost except that you provide your own tennis balls and pay your own court fees.

• Team Tennis is also a big part of what ATTA is all about and likely the source of our association's name.  ATTA forms teams of primarily gay and lesbian players who compete in the team-tennis leagues offered by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA)*.  Click on the "Join a Team" link at the toolbar to the left to learn more about team tennis in Atlanta and to learn how to join an ATTA team.  An ALTA team must have at least 10 current members of ATTA to be considered an ATTA team.  For USTA, a roster of at least eight current ATTA members is considered an ATTA team.

• Clinics are an opportunity to hone your tennis skills and improve your conditioning.  Some clinics, charging a nominal fee, are in the form of group drills with a tennis pro where you may attend a weekend morning or a weeknight evening as little or as often as you wish.  Occasionally, "boot camps" are held with several sessions of drills spread over several days to work on conditioning, movement, specific strokes and court strategy.  Once in a while, ATTA members may choose to attend an out-of-town tennis camp for group tennis lessons.  Current drills and clinics open to ATTA members and non-ATTA members alike are listed in the "Calendar of Events" section of the website.

• Social Events other than playing tennis are also popular with ATTA members.  Pool parties, theme parties and Grand Slam Tournament viewing parties are just some of the events that have been held in the past.

• Tournaments are organized by ATTA in the Spring and Fall each year.  Click on the "Tournaments" link on the toolbar at the left to learn more about each of our tournaments.

• Opportunities to Give Back to the community also exist through ATTA.  Our annual Peach International Tennis Championship tournament gives proceeds from the tournament to a local charity, in 2005 through 2008 benefiting the AIDS Survival Project.  We also participate in the "Adopt-A-Highway" campaign by helping to keep clean the section of Scott Boulevard between Clairmont Road and Dekalb Industrial Way in Decatur.

While ATTA has a definite tennis focus, it's also very much about the fellowship and friendships we develop on and off the courts.  Come out to Open Play on Saturday and check it out... It's free for your first visit.  If you have fun and would like to join, become a member online!