NEWS

From underdog upsets to powerhouse performances, this year’s Team Nationals showcased the heart, humor, and hustle that define the spirit of platform tennis.

PTI Open and PTI 0-5 Men’s Brackets  

The Michigan Shores Waitlist team entered the 2025 Team Nationals with high hopes of capturing the championship. Unfortunately, their plans were derailed before the tournament even began. One of their key players, Andrew Ong, had to withdraw due to injury, and later in the weekend, Josh Kritzler was also sidelined. Stepping up in their place were Harry Sullivan and Chicago Charities Tournament Director Jason Love.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s Pub, a team of players mostly from the Indianapolis area, showed up with a strong and spirited squad. When asked about the name, the team laughed and said that Taylor’s Pub is simply where they all hang out after paddle. Their roster included high-level tournament players who’ve competed throughout the Midwest, picking up teammates along the way—from Columbus to Cincinnati.

The Washington Paddle Team captained by Trevor Spracklin, a long-time Team Nationals participant, managed to bring two teams from the D.C. area. His squad capped off the weekend with a victory in the 0–5 playoff.

Probably not all that surprising, it was The Redeem Team who claimed the PTI Open. With this year’s National Champions Adam Morgan and Graham McNerney leading the charge, Peter Berka, Will Colmar, Randy Lofgren, Ben McKnight, Paul Rose, and Peter Rose filled out a rather convincing mostly Chicago team.

Team Nationals has always been a tournament for all levels—so it was particularly fun to see some of the most intense partnerships of the season put together a team of friends and play for green and yellow ribbons and free beer.

One Third of Dayton Arrived

In Dayton, Ohio, the paddle community has 38 players—total—and 12 of them made the trip to the 2025 Men’s Team Nationals. Teams What’s Your Sigma? & How’s Your Sigma? represented well and calculatedly.

Captain Chris Butler consulted with APTA CEO Amin Khadduri to ensure that everyone who wanted to attend Team Nationals had played 8 qualifying matches and had meaningful PTIs. They strived to get their “sigmas” under 4. What’s a sigma, you ask? In Dayton, it basically means “keep mixing up your partners until the algorithm is happy.”

These two crews had a blast at their first Team Nationals, proving that even a small paddle community can make a big impact.

The Charlotte Mafia

With just 3 courts and over 80 players, Charlotte’s paddle community makes the most of every inch of court space. Thanks to highly organized and fair-minded captains, they run three time slots each night to ensure everyone gets a chance to play.

The Charlotte Mafia, competing in the 20–25 PTI division, came to the 2025 Team Nationals eager to defend their title. Sometimes the bad guys don’t finish first; they started off strong in their first match, but played in an exceptionally challenging 12-team division. North Carolina represented well.

Richmond = Rich 'win'

During one warm-up session in pool play, a Chicago opponent asked a Richmond, VA, player, “Where are you guys from?” When the answer was “Richmond,” the response was a surprise, “Wow—I didn’t even know you guys played paddle down there. How many courts do you have?” The answer? “Seven.” To which came the incredulous follow-up: “In the whole city?”Ah Chicago, if only you understood the rest of the paddle world.

Seven courts led to 2 Team Nationals titles—RVA Paddle 1 in the 5-10 PTI division & RVA Paddle 2 in the 25-30 PTI division. Up against powerhouse regions like Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., the 13 Richmond players brought out their best game in the playoffs. 

Here’s the takeaway: seven courts may not sound like much—unless you only had three up until two years ago. – See the article on Richmond’s Newest Courts

The Swashbucklers

It all started when someone spotted Greg Green on the court and asked, “Who’s that swashbuckler?”—and the name took hold. According to his teammates, Greg struts across the court like a true pirate, paddle in hand as if it were his sword.

The crew from Pittsburgh, PA, have been setting sail for Team Nationals for the past few years, and most of the crew are seasoned veterans of the event. This year, they came in search of gold—but alas, they’ll have to chart a new course for treasure next season. ☠️🏴‍☠️

Deuce Canoes

While this Fairfield, CT, squad isn’t exactly gunning for McNerney and Morgan (yet), they’re heavy hitters in their own bracket—holders of last year’s Team Nationals title. Their PTIs landed them squarely in the 20–25 range, but don’t let that fool you—this team came with star power.

First, there’s the PTI Guy himself—Demian Johnston, President of the APTA Board, PTI wizard, and official keeper of the paddle matrix. Then there’s Jeff Kong, Volley master and Fairfield Open Tournament Director, whose net game is as sharp as his tournament planning. Sean Taylor brings architectural precision to the court—literally. When he’s not designing homes for the rich and famous, he’s building points with lobs and drives. Jamie Lamb, the Young Gun, keeps things fresh with lightning-fast hands and a mustache that could stop traffic (or at least have its own fan club). Mike McGarry keeps it all in the family—literally—representing the greater Volley empire. Tom Singher is a dedicated member of the FCPTL board of directors, bringing both his expertise and leadership to Team Nationals this year. Last but not least, is Marx Bowens, long-time friend and proud fraternity brother of Amin Khadduri—which, in paddle circles, is pretty much like a lifetime membership to the APTA.

No repeat this year, but they were in the running for nicest guys at Team Nationals, although that is where the competition is the deepest.

All these stories couldn’t have come true without the hardworking Team Nationals crew in Chicago. Thank you Mike Rahaley, John Noble, and all the volunteers, pros, and clubs for welcoming 500 paddle warriors for the weekend. (Interviews by Jen Beringer, APTA Marketing Director.)