E Devon League

East Devon Lawn Tennis Junior Leagues

Summerway has probably entered teams to the East Devon Junior Leagues since the Club was founded in the early nineteen-seventies. The considerable success which Summerway has enjoyed over the years is clear from the records.

Each League consists of a number of clubs or organisations which play each other twice, home and away, during the Summer or Winter season. Teams of four (two pairs) - male, female or mixed - play a doubles and reverse doubles. There were and still are adult leagues and junior leagues, the latter defining junior as 16&Under in times past. Summerway enters leagues during the Summer season only.

Things have been changing rather rapidly in recent years, responding to three pressures. First is the emphasis currently being put on singles play, second is the need to cope with the wide spread of age and ability amongst juniors and the third is the difficulty many clubs have nowadays in getting four suitable players together at the same time. Consequently, the format of some leagues has been modified to include singles, other junior age groups have been added and some leagues now consist of two players rather than four.

In 2002 Summerway entered four leagues: B16D, G16D, B13S&D, G13S&D. The B16D came 3rd out of 5 in the first division. Two clubs withdrew and Summerway had as many points as 2nd placed Sidford ‘A’. In the G16D there was only one other club besides Summerway, but what with the weather and both sides finding it difficult to arrange alternative dates when they could field a team, the league ultimately went uncontested. The 13&Under leagues played two singles and a doubles for each fixture. There were six teams in the boys league. Summerway came 2nd with the same number of points as 1st placed Exeter Golf & Country.

The 13&Under girls were given in error as joint 3rd with Lympstone out of four. The Summerway girls actually won six points rather than the three shown and thirteen sets rather than the seven shown by the League. Summerway has a rather young average age at the moment. All players who represented Summerway in 2002 were a great credit to the Club.