Texas Wild
The Texas Wild was a World TeamTennis team that played at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA. The team was known as the Kansas City Explorers from 1993 until the 2012 season, before moving to Texas.[1] With WTT's contraction of the Las Vegas Neon in 2014, the Wild became the oldest franchise currently operating in the league.
Founded | 1993 | (moved to Texas in 2013 )
---|---|
Folded | February 23, 2015 (moved to California) January 13, 2016 (franchise terminated) |
League | World TeamTennis |
Team history | Kansas City Explorers 1993–2012 Texas Wild 2013–2014 California Dream 2015 |
Based in | Irving, Texas |
Stadium | Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas |
Colors | Black, Magenta, Yellow and Light Blue |
Head coach | Brent Haygarth |
Championships | 2010 King Trophy (as Kansas City Explorers) |
Local media | KTXA |
Following the 2014 season, rumors circulated that the Wild may relocate due to poor attendance. In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in January 2015, Wild owner Jeff Launius would not confirm that the team would play the 2015 season in Irving. He said, "I’m working on several options for 2015, none of which I am ready to reveal at this time."[2] On February 23, 2015, WTT announced that a new ownership group had taken control of the Wild and moved the team to Citrus Heights, California, renaming it the California Dream.[3]
Final squad
On-court personnel
Brent Haygarth – Head Coach Alex Bogomolov, Jr. Darija Jurak Anabel Medina Garrigues Aisam Qureshi Tim Smyczek
Front office
- Jeff Launius – Owner and General Manager
- Mel Launius – Owner
References
- "Kansas City Explorers Will Move to Irving, Texas". USTA. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- Hall, Rusty (January 3, 2014). "Texas Wild Owner Planning for 2015, but Irving Return Uncertainon". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- "Mylan World TeamTennis Returns to Sacramento Area in 2015 with California Dream". World TeamTennis. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- "2014 Players". World TeamTennis. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- Mylan WTT Media Guide 2014 (PDF). World TeamTennis. 2014. p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2015.