Every community has a beginning, and the Washington Area Tennis Association’s began with a simple idea in 1991: adults in the Washington region deserved a lively, organized and friendly way to play team tennis. More than three decades later, that idea has grown into a thriving network of leagues across Maryland and Washington, DC, led by Executive Director Richard Gottfried and Vice President Stacey Gottfried. This is the story of how it grew, what it stands for and why so many players have stayed.
1991: a simple idea takes shape
In 1991, Richard Gottfried began organizing World Team Tennis leagues for adults. At the time, plenty of people played tennis, but fewer had access to the kind of structured, team-based competition that makes the sport so sociable. Most adult players hit with friends when schedules allowed, or joined informal ladders that came and went with the seasons.
Richard’s approach was different. He built leagues with schedules, line-ups and standings, and he made them welcoming for players of different abilities. The team format meant that nobody carried the match alone, and the structure meant that players could rely on regular, scheduled tennis. It was an offer many adults had been waiting for, and the leagues began to grow.
The year 1991 also marks the beginning of something else: WATA’s tradition of success in championships. Since then, the association’s players and teams have been successful in attending and winning the Regional Championships and the National Championships. From the outset, the community combined friendliness with real competitive ambition.
Growing across Maryland and Washington, DC
As word spread, new players joined, and new teams formed. The leagues extended across the region, from the city to the surrounding Maryland communities. Each area brought its own flavor. City players valued tennis that fit around a working day. Suburban players enjoyed relaxed weekend matches. New neighborhoods meant new courts, and new courts meant new friendships.
Growth brought challenges. Organizing a season of matches across many courts, teams and schedules is complicated, and every decision affects real people’s weeks. Over the years, WATA refined its approach, learning how to place players on teams of the right level, how to schedule matches in ways that suit busy lives and how to keep communication clear. Players rarely see this work, but they feel its results in smooth seasons and well-balanced matches.
Importantly, growth never changed the core promise. Whether a league had a handful of teams or many, the aim remained that every player should feel welcome and every match should be worth playing.
2010: Stacey Gottfried joins the leadership
In 2010, Stacey Gottfried became Vice President of the Team Tennis Association. Her dedication to expanding tennis opportunities and community engagement strengthened an already successful organization. Together with Richard, she helped shape a culture that values health, wellness and social connection as much as results.
Stacey’s focus on the people inside the leagues has been felt in many ways: in the warmth of trial sessions, in the care taken to match newcomers with the right teams and in the effort to keep events welcoming for players of all ages. A partnership of experience and community focus has been at the heart of WATA ever since.
Richard and Stacey’s shared passion for tennis and community involvement drives a mission that is easy to describe and demanding to carry out: creating engaging and inclusive experiences for players of all skill levels, so that tennis stays accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Milestones at a glance: 1991, Richard begins organizing World Team Tennis leagues. 2010, Stacey becomes Vice President. Today, one-time trial sessions are offered at multiple courts, with tennis available any time of year.
Championship teams and proud moments
Few things unite a community like a shared victory. WATA’s players and teams have competed at the Regional Championships and the National Championships, and photographs of those teams are part of the association’s history. Team photographs from championship weekends show players in matching colors, arms around each other, holding trophies and grinning from ear to ear.
These moments matter far beyond the teams that earn them. When a WATA team heads to a regional or national event, the whole community cheers. Teammates from other leagues send encouragement, and newcomers who have only just finished their trial sessions feel proud to be part of something bigger.
It is worth remembering how these teams began. Every championship squad started as a group of individuals meeting for the first time, learning each other’s strengths and gradually becoming a unit. Their success is the product of ordinary weekly matches, honest effort and good friendships. That is the best argument for joining: you do not need to be a champion to start, and you may be surprised how far a good team can go.
What the community values
Look closely at WATA’s history and a consistent set of values emerges.
- Inclusion. Players of all skill levels are welcome, from newcomers to national competitors.
- Health and wellness. Leagues are designed to support cardio fitness, strength, flexibility, mental agility and peace of mind.
- Social connection. Team tennis brings people together, and friendships are as valued as victories.
- Reliability. Scheduled matches and clear communication respect players’ time.
- Sportsmanship. Honest calls, warm handshakes and encouragement define the culture.
- Community involvement. Players look after one another and the organization that brings them together.
These values were not written on a poster and forgotten. They show up in practical decisions about how to run a league, how to welcome a newcomer and how to handle a disagreement on court. They are the reason players return season after season.
Who the community serves
Over the years, WATA has welcomed a remarkable variety of people. Experienced players come for a structured, competitive environment in which to refine their skills. Busy entrepreneurs come for an enjoyable way to stay fit and network with like-minded people. Busy parents come for some time for themselves, a way to stay active and a fun, competitive sport. Tennis enthusiasts who love watching the game finally learn to play. Fitness buffs find a fun, engaging way to enjoy the outdoors. Social butterflies make new friends in a sport that brings people together.
This variety is a strength. A team with a parent, an entrepreneur, a retired player and a newcomer has many perspectives, many schedules and many stories. They learn from each other, and the mix keeps the community lively.
Why people stay
Ask long-time members why they keep coming back, and the answers tend to fall into three groups. The first is the game itself. Tennis is endlessly absorbing, and team tennis adds a layer of shared excitement that individual play lacks. The second is health. Players notice that they feel fitter, steadier and calmer, and they want to keep it that way. The third, and often the most important, is people. Teammates become friends, and friends become part of your life.
Imagine a player who joined a league after moving to the area for work, knowing no one. Within a season, she has a team, a weekly match and a handful of friends who invite her to dinner. Or picture a parent who started playing once a week for exercise and discovers that the hour of tennis steadies the rest of his week. These are typical experiences, and they explain why the community has lasted so long.
Open all year, open to everyone
One of the most distinctive features of the modern WATA is its promise to offer tennis at its best, whenever and wherever. A one-time trial session, offered at multiple tennis courts, allows anyone to try the leagues without commitment. It is available at any time of year, so you do not need to wait for a particular season.
The trial session reflects the values of the whole organization: it is welcoming, flexible and focused on the individual. It lets people discover whether team tennis suits them before making any decision, and it gives organizers the chance to place them well. Many of today’s most committed members began with a single trial session on a day when they were not sure they would enjoy it.
The people behind every season
No league runs itself. Behind every smooth season stands a group of people who give their time: captains who organize line-ups and remind players of match times, volunteers who set up events, longtime members who welcome newcomers and organizers who answer questions and solve scheduling puzzles. Their work is rarely noticed when it goes well, which is precisely the sign that it is being done well.
Many captains began as new players who were invited to help and discovered they enjoyed it. They know what it feels like to arrive at a court for the first time, so they make a point of introducing newcomers, explaining the format and including everyone. That cycle, in which a welcomed player becomes a welcoming captain, is one of the most valuable features of the community and the reason its warmth has lasted.
The leadership of Richard and Stacey Gottfried sets the tone. Their long experience and genuine enthusiasm are visible in the way the leagues operate, and their commitment encourages others to give back. When you join a WATA team, you inherit this culture of generosity. In time, you may find yourself passing it on to the next person who steps onto the court.
Looking ahead
The next chapter of the WATA story is being written every season. New players arrive, new teams form and new friendships begin. Longtime members become captains, and captains become mentors. The leagues adapt to changing lives and schedules while holding on to what matters most.
Under Richard and Stacey Gottfried’s leadership, the Team Tennis Association continues to expand opportunities for adults in Maryland and Washington, DC. The mission is the same as it was in 1991: to make tennis accessible and enjoyable for everyone. The tools are better, the community is larger and the courts are busier, but the heart remains a simple, generous idea.
If you would like to be part of the next chapter, there is a place for you. You do not need to be a champion, a tennis expert or even a confident player. You only need to come, try and see what happens.
Key takeaways
- WATA’s story began in 1991, when Richard Gottfried started organizing World Team Tennis leagues.
- Stacey Gottfried became Vice President in 2010, strengthening community engagement.
- WATA teams have competed in, and won, Regional and National Championships since 1991.
- Inclusion, health, social connection and sportsmanship guide the community.
- A one-time trial session lets anyone join the story, at any time of year.
Become part of more than thirty years of team tennis. Book a one-time trial session, or learn more on the About Us page.