Caleb Buglia, a fourth-grade student at Central Elementary in Fluvanna County, has won the 10 and Under (10U) Division in the inaugural CATA Fall Pathway Tennis Tournament which was recently held at Darden Towe Park in Charlottesville. The tournament was hosted by the Charlottesville Area Tennis Association (CATA) as part of the United States Tennis Association’s 10 and Under Target Market initiative (TMI) and was open to boys and girls ages 10 and under. Caleb bested a field of eight players including players from Arlington and Winchester.

Caleb is 9 years old and has been playing tennis for about a year. He is a student at Friendship Tennis Academy and is coached by Alina Ackenbom, USPTA tennis professional and Director of Tennis at Camp Friendship in Palmyra.

Ackenbom says “When Caleb tried tennis last year, I noticed how quick his feet were on the court. He’d been playing soccer. He picked up a racquet and fell in love with the sport. After playing tennis all summer, he was ready for tournament play. He played two tournaments in September and won only one match, but he wasn’t discouraged at all. Even when he loses, he has a smile on his face because he loves playing tennis so much. Caleb works hard on his game and is a quick learner. At Friendship Tennis Academy he hits with older junior players who have been great role models for him. He definitely looks up to them and works as hard as they do.”

Brothers Will and Carter Trout of Charlottesville swept the 8 and Under Division of the tournament.

The Charlottesville Area is a pilot market for the USTA’s 10 and Under Target Market Initiative and is creating a “tennis pathway” for kids ages five to 10. For more information about 10U programming and facilities, go to: http://www.tennispathway.com.