News
CATS Has Four Skill Levels–Again!
Starting in the Fall 2025 Session, CATS will again have four skill divisions. In the last few years, Flight 2 had gotten so large and had such as wide range of skills that it made sense to split it into two groups: Flight 2 and the new group, currently known by the working title Flight 1.5 to indicate that it is a bridge between Flights 1 and 2. The board members are still discussing what its permanent title should be.
Before Covid, CATS had four groups, known as Open, A, B, and C Divisions. When play resumed after the shutdown, there were only enough players for two groups for the first session. Gradually, more people returned and many new people joined CATS, but not enough to fill four groups.
CATS President Bill Himmelmann said, “We have wanted to add a fourth flight for quite a while, but we didn’t have enough players at the right levels
“Flight 2 has been in a bit of an odd space for the last few years,” current Flight 2 Coordinator Steve Heisler explained. “There exists a skill divide between, say, a player stepping down from Flight 1 and another stepping up from Flight 3. Higher-level players were becoming disheartened by the uneven playing field, and lower-level players were feeling intimidated and weren’t able to play and grow, to the best of their abilities. Too many matches were being determined by whomever happened to be scheduled for the night.”
Steve said that a few factors came together for this upcoming season that made the change possible. “We received an influx of players from Flights 1 and 3, as well as new ones signing up. I also had multiple conversations with players about their frustrations and it seemed like they all would be mitigated by splitting the flight. The timing felt right, and with Jo Ellen’s (Jo Ellen Reed, League Coordinator) and Bill’s support, I put together multiple spreadsheets and configured a way to make it work.”
Steve said the split is an ongoing experiment. “No one is forever relegated to one flight or another, and there will most likely be changes made before the winter season. All we ask of the Flight 1.5 and Flight 2 players is to give these changes a shot and to provide feedback along the way.”
Steve will be the coordinator of Flight 1.5, and Anvesh Masa will be the coordinator of Fight 2. Each flight will have four teams. With sixteen teams, CATS will use all eight of Lakeshore’s courts every week.
In other changes:
Justin Todd will become the coordinator of Flight 1, in addition to his roles as vice-president and membership chairperson.
Court fees will be increased from $16 per night to $17 to offset our increased costs from Lakeshore.
“CATS was founded in 1969,” Bill said. “It’s faced a lot of challenges over the years, but has lasted because the club has been able to adapt to changing situations. We want our members to understand that when decisions must be made, changes in policies and rules are a collaborative effort. The board members discuss the options to find the solution that is best for the organization. In splitting Flight 2, we tried to find a spot for everybody, but we realize that some tweaking might be necessary. It’s this flexibility and cooperative attitude that have kept CATS going for 56 years. We expect it to be around for many more!”
Steve added, “Ultimately, our hope is that this change removes as many obstacles as possible in nurturing more of what makes CATS such a wonderful and welcoming league: close matches, great tennis, building bonds, and having fun.”
