Springfield Lasers

{{Short description|World TeamTennis professional team}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{use mdy|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox sports team | team = Springfield Lasers | logo = Springfield Lasers 2015 logo 2.png | pixels = 180px | founded = 1996 | league = World TeamTennis | sport = Team tennis | current = 2018 Springfield Lasers season | history = '''Springfield Lasers'''<br /> 1996–present | arena = | ballpark = | stadium = Mediacom Stadium at Cooper Tennis Complex | city = Springfield, Missouri | colors = Kingfisher daisy and deep sky blue<br>{{Color box|#5C2D83}} {{Color box|#00B4E5}}<br>Alternate: Han violet-blue and bright turquoise<br>{{Color box|#3100DC}} {{Color box|#32F6F4}} | owner = Springfield-Greene County Park Board | president = | coach = John-Laffnie de Jager | manager = | championships = 2 (2018, 2019) | titles = | cheerleaders = | dancers = | mascot = | broadcasters = | media = }}

The '''Springfield Lasers''' was a World TeamTennis franchise. The franchise was purchased and donated to the city of Springfield, Missouri by the Cooper family in 1996. They played their home matches at Mediacom Stadium at Cooper Tennis Complex. They have not played since 2022.

==History== The team advanced to the league final in 1999, 2001, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019, and only in the last 2 years have they won the championship.<ref name="01fin"/><ref name="09fin"/> In 2010, the Lasers had the best regular season record (10–4) in World TeamTennis and advanced to the WTT Western Conference Championship but lost to the Kansas City Explorers, 20 to 17.<ref name="2010wcc"/> The Lasers faced the Philadelphia Freedoms in the 2018 WTT Championship match on August 5, 2018. The Lasers defeated the Freedoms 19–18 for their first WTT Championship in team history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/2018/08/05/springfield-lasers-win-team-tennis-title-beat-philadelphia/912039002/|title=Lasers beat Freedoms to win 1st World Team Tennis title|website=Springfield News-Leader|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref> They retained their title in 2019 with a win over the New York Empire in the final.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/springfield-lasers-repeat-as-world-teamtennis-champs-in-las-vegas-1818301/|title=Springfield Lasers repeat as World TeamTennis champs in Las Vegas|first=Jonathan Eskin Las Vegas|last=Review-Journal|date=4 August 2019|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref>

thumb|upright|Lasers logo used through the 2014 season. In 2003, the Lasers made slight modifications to their team logo. The words "Springfield" and "tennis" were also relocated. Affair purple ({{Color box|#744184}}) was replaced with kingfisher daisy, a deeper shade of purple. Pacific blue ({{Color box|#009FBA}}) was also replaced with deep sky blue. At the same time, the Lasers began using an alternate logo with the same design but a different color scheme. In place of kingfisher daisy was Han violet-blue ({{Color box|#3100DC}}), and bright turquoise ({{Color box|#32F6F4}}) appears where deep sky blue is seen in the main logo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/5542/|title=Springfield Lasers Logo and Uniform History|website=SportsLogos|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref> They signed John Isner for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/2016/03/25/lasers-draft-isner-second-season/82281668/|title=Lasers draft No. 1 Isner for second season|first=Britney E.|last=Brown|website=Springfield News-Leader|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref>

The league and the Lasers went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States but resumed playing in a central location. In 2022, They were approved to return to play back in Springfield in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ky3.com/2022/07/20/springfield-lasers-world-team-tennis-returning-2023/|title=Springfield Lasers, World Team Tennis returning in 2023|first=KY3|last=Staff|date=20 July 2022|publisher=KY3|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sgfcitizen.org/springfield-sports/springfield-lasers-world-teamtennis-plan-to-return-in-2023/|title=Springfield Lasers, World TeamTennis plan to return in 2023|first=Jeff|last=Kessinger|date=20 July 2022|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref> However, the league did not play and provided no information as to if the league had folded or was on hiatus again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ky3.com/2024/09/27/ozarks-life-springfields-last-champion-lasers/|title=Ozarks Life: Springfield's last champion, the Lasers|first=Chad|last=Plein|date=27 September 2024|publisher=KY3|accessdate=8 May 2026}}</ref>

==Current roster== *{{flagicon|RSA}} John-Laffnie de Jager, head coach *{{flagicon|USA}} Hayley Carter *{{flagicon|BLR}} Olga Govortsova *{{flagicon|USA}} Mitchell Krueger *{{flagicon|SWE}} Robert Lindstedt *{{flagicon|USA}} Caty McNally *{{flagicon|NED}} Jean-Julien Rojer ''As of April 6, 2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.springfieldlasers.com/team |accessdate=6 April 2021 |publisher=Springfield Lasers|title = 2021 Team}}</ref>''

==References== <references> <ref name="01fin">{{cite news |first=Doug |last=Smith |work=USA Today |title=Lasers battle Freedoms for team title Saturday |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/78937614.html?dids=78937614:78937614&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104122358/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/78937614.html?dids=78937614:78937614&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |date=August 24, 2001 |access-date=November 18, 2010}}</ref> <ref name="09fin">{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Emerick |work=USA Today |title=Kastles survive Lasers rally, claim first WTT title |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2009-07-26-world-team-tennis-washington_N.htm |date=July 26, 2009 |access-date=November 18, 2010}}</ref> <ref name="2010wcc">{{cite web |publisher=World TeamTennis |title=Match Statistics |url=http://wtt.ids-sports.com/stats/334.html |date=July 23, 2010}}</ref> </references>

==External links== * [http://www.springfieldlasers.com/ Official team website] *{{cite web |publisher=Springfield Lasers |title=About Us |url=http://www.springfieldlasers.com/teams/article.aspx?article_id=1634 |access-date=November 18, 2010}} *{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |title=Tennis: Navratilova, Connors picked |page=3C |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kUAgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hn0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6397,2029377&dq=springfield+lasers+tennis&hl=en |date=March 27, 1998}}

Category:World TeamTennis teams Category:Tennis teams in Missouri Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1996 Category:1996 establishments in Missouri Category:Sports in Springfield, Missouri