TO DONATE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE AND USE THE "DONATION to support military families" box.
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REGISTRATION UPDATE (as of 11:00 PM, 9 October)
Registration is CLOSED. Please contact the tournament director, Scott Zobrist, at 757–788–4576, for availability. However, there are several spots still available, and there are always last-minute cancellations so if can get you in to Tennis 4 Turkeys, I will!
----------------- Welcome to Tennis 4 Turkeys 2026!
Tennis 4 Turkeys is a fun mixed doubles charity tournament (non-sanctioned) for players of all skill levels that supports military families at Shaw AFB in Sumter, South Carolina! This is the sixth annual tournament, and this year we'll be playing entirely on the German red clay at Palmetto Tennis Center (PTC) again!
The first five tournaments raised over $70,000 which provided ready-to-cook Thanksgiving meals to over 1,150 military families, and also provided critical operating funds for the Shaw AFB First Sergeants to take care of military members and their families throughout the year.
This year we hope to raise over $15,000 again through sponsorships and player registration fees while providing a fun mixed doubles tournament experience for the players on the unique red clay at PTC. Tournament proceeds this year will buy over 350 Thanksgiving dinners for military families at Shaw AFB during the Shaw First Sergeants’ annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive. Your support of Tennis 4 Turkeys has real, positive impact on local military families...thank you! ---------------------- DETAILS
PLEASE NOTE – This is a three-day mixed doubles-only tournament with round robin matches and finals on Sunday for some divisions. See "SCHEDULE" section below for details.
GENERAL: Registration fee ($65/player) includes: - 3 round robin matches on the red clay at PTC - Tennis 4 Turkeys swag (click HERE to see your options) - Lunch on Saturday - Snacks/drinks throughout tournament
DRAW IS LIMITED SO IT IS RECOMMENDED YOU REGISTER EARLY TO SECURE YOUR SPOT.
FORMAT: - Mixed Doubles Only - Round Robin format with 3 matches - Best of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tie break if required) - Awards for top two teams in each division - Adults only (18 years of age and older) - Upon registration, players agree to play matches as posted in the "SCHEDULE" section below - Division Champions will be decided by: - Round robin play (no final) for divisions with 4 teams - Final on Sunday for divisions with more than 4 teams
SCHEDULE: - First matches start as early as 6 PM on Friday, 16 October - Expect to play your 3 round robin matches in one of the following general schedules depending on division: - One match on Friday evening and two on Saturday; or - Two matches on Saturday and one on Sunday - Finals on Sunday for divisions with more than 4 teams - No more than two matches will be scheduled per day - Expect the draws to be posted by noon on Monday, 12 October
REGISTRATION: - Bring your own partner and register as a team - Don't have a partner? Contact Tournament Director for assistance in finding a partner (Scott Zobrist — tennis4turkeys@gmail.com or 757-788-4576.)
You and your mixed doubles partner will register in only one of eight mixed doubles and (ADDED) ONE women's doubles divisions based on age and NTRP:
18 and Over - 2.5 - ADDED 2.5 Women's Doubles - 3.0 - 3.5 - 4.0 - Open
55 and Over - 3.0 - 3.5 - 4.0
NOTE: Divisions may be combined but only if absolutely necessary. The Tournament Director will make every effort to fill the brackets and ensure teams have opponents at the same NTRP and age levels.
IMPORTANT: One player registers for the team (i.e. they register themselves AND their partner at the same time). That player will need a credit card and the following info for BOTH players: - Name - Age - NTRP rating - USTA Member Number - Email address - Mobile phone number - T-shirt size (unisex) - Choice of swag options (click HERE to see your options)
When you are ready to register, select "Quantity 2" for your NTRP / age group division and hit "Continue" below.
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ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT ADMIN NOTES:
NTRP LEVELS - It is the players' responsibility to register for a division that suits their skill level. It is the Tournament Director's responsibility to facilitate competitive divisions to the maximum extent possible. The Tournament Director has the authority to change a team's registered division for the betterment of the tournament. If a player does not have a USTA NTRP level, they should contact the Tournament Director for assistance in registering in the appropriate division.
CANCELLATIONS: Refunds may be requested until 30 September. If you must withdraw, please contact the Tournament Director. This is a round robin tournament that requires divisions with exactly 4 or 8 teams so any cancellations require the Tournament Director to find a replacement team...and we want you to play, so please don't cancel!
REGISTRATION REFUSAL: The Tournament Director reserves the right to refuse registration to any player as he deems appropriate. The Tournament Director also reserves the right to remove a player from the event in progress for unsportsmanlike conduct and rules violations.
CODE OF CONDUCT: By registering for Tennis 4 Turkeys, players agree to play in accordance with USTA rules and conduct themselves in according to "The Code" as described in "Friend at Court 2026 - Handbook of Rules and Regulations." Just a reminder that this is a charity tournament for recreational players that benefits local military families...no one is getting paid and the only results that really matter are the Thanksgiving meals and overall support you are helping to provide to local military families serving our Nation!
Players are reminded of three key principles of tennis as described in Friend at Court: - "Sportsmanship is the foundation of tennis." - "Courtesy is expected." - "Opponents get the benefit of the doubt." Thanks in advance for making this a fun, competitive tournament for all involved!
NOTE ABOUT SHOES: Players are encouraged to play in shoes specifically designed for clay courts. While you can safely wear "all-surface" or "hard court" shoes on PTC's red clay, these shoes are not optimized for clay surfaces and have less grip on clay, resulting in less traction and more slippage. And I've found that while my "all court" shoes work well on gray clay/Har-Tru courts, they slip a lot more on the red clay at PTC and provide inadequate traction for me. Getting a pair of clay shoes totally changed my tennis experience on the red clay at PTC. So if you already have a pair of clay shoes, you should definitely wear them during Tennis 4 Turkeys. If you don't, you might consider getting some before Tennis 4 Turkeys so you can have an optimum experience on the red clay (clay shoes work very well on gray clay/Har-Tru surfaces also). Click HERE to read an article from Tennis Express about the difference between clay shoes and other types of shoes (Tennis Express is not a sponsor of Tennis 4 Turkeys...but I wish they were!)
--------------- DONATIONS: Anyone can support the Shaw First Sergeants' annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive at any time by making a donation below. Simply type in the donation amount below and select "Continue" to go to the payment page.
Players can also make a donation while registering. The donation amount you put in below will be included with your registration fees at checkout. Thanks! --------------- Follow Tennis 4 Turkeys on Facebook...click HERE.
Tennis 4 Turkeys is sponsored by the Shaw-Sumter Community Council and the Shaw AFB First Sergeants. (Sumter Tennis Association is a sponsor). All proceeds benefit Operation Warm Heart, the Shaw AFB First Sergeants' 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting the military members and families of Shaw AFB.