The Boston Lobsters will be hitting the court at the Manchester Athletic Club (MAC) for the 2013 World Team Tennis Pro League season.
The Joan Norton Tennis Center will be the name of the facility hosting the Lobsters’ new home court next summer. The new show court and several adjacent 10 and under QuickStart courts are currently being constructed on additional property owned by the Manchester Athletic Club.
The distinctive multi-colored WTT court, which will feature both permanent and semi-permanent seating, will also be home to several MAC tournaments and a resource to the community for other events. Plans are underway to design a show court that preserves the intimacy that the Lobsters fans are used to but also adding features that will enhance the experience.
The new home for Boston’s professional tennis team is located on the grounds of the Manchester Athletic Club at 8 Atwater Avenue in Manchester, Mass. Team officials say the convenient location, less than one mile from Route 128, will provide the team with a venue that is very desirable for the team, its guests and sponsors.
In addition to the new venue’s convenient location in Manchester, the facility also boasts eight premium indoor courts that will also be able to host indoor professional play onsite in case of inclement weather, increased parking accommodations onsite for both VIP and general parking and space for enhanced merchandising and concession opportunities.
“Manchester Athletic Club is very excited to align ourselves with the Boston Lobsters,” said Manchester Athletic Club owner John Donovan. “The Lobsters organization is uniquely positioned to provide an exceptional professional tennis showcase for this community. We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
The Lobsters have played at Ferncroft Country Club (FCC) in Middleton over the last five years. “We want to thank the management of the FCC for hosting the Boston Lobsters and giving us an opportunity to establish ourselves as we move forward to grow the game in the community,” said Boston Lobsters CEO Bahar Uttam.
With an increasing fan base and strong support from the community, the Boston Lobsters have established themselves as a destination each summer. Since the team’s move to the North Shore five years ago, the Lobsters have hosted such tennis stars as John Isner, Venus and Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Anna Kournikova and James Blake to the enjoyment of thousands of regional North Shore fans.
This success in the North Shore is what led to the search for a new venue that will provide permanency and will continue to bring top tennis athletes to the area, said Uttam.
The MAC is a USTA Certified Regional Training Centers and a satellite site of the illustrious coach Nick Bollettieri, who has coached 10 former top-ranked players in the world.
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with the Boston Lobsters,” said Manchester Athletic Club General Manager/Managing Partner Keith Callahan. “Bahar (Uttam, CEO of the Boston Lobsters) and his team have built an incredible experience for the tennis players of New England and we’re very proud of our association with such a distinct organization.”
“So many of our tennis players have traveled to Lobster events,” he added. “Now having the Boston Lobsters at Manchester Athletic Club we believe will allow our members and the residents of Cape Ann greater access to those incredible athletic events and see some of the best tennis to be played in New England.”
Manchester Athletic Club is an energetic organization of members, professional staff, facility offerings, community participation, and programs. The MAC’s aim is to engage their members and the community in activities that are motivating, educational and fun. The Boston Lobsters are proud to be partnered with the MAC, working together to bring fun, family friendly and community active venue to host professional tennis.
The Boston Lobsters are the New England franchise of the World TeamTennis (WTT) Pro League. The WTT Pro League showcases both the best in professional tennis with its innovative coed team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s. WTT is a showcase for many of tennis’ top players, as virtually every major champion of the Open has played WTT through the years. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis.
2013 Boston Lobsters season tickets are now on sale and are honoring the same pricing with VIP pre-match privileges and VIP parking for season box ticket holders and sponsors.
For more information on the Lobsters and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Darlene Hayes at Darlene@BostonLobsters.net or 508-435-2023 or visit www.BostonLobsters.net.