PENN TWP — The 21st annual West Penn Junior Mixed Doubles Team Championship tennis event is scheduled for Thursday on the Butler Country Club courts.

This may be the final year for the event in its current format, however.

Up until now — and including this year — the junior tourney has included one 18-under mixed doubles tandem and one 12-under duo from each participating organization. Both age divisions play a round-robin format and the championship team is determined by the combined results.

“I’ve been noticing that tennis has been trending younger,” BCC tennis pro and tournament director Whitney Snyder said. “I’m thinking about making this strictly a 12-under event next year.

“We may have a boys mixed doubles division, a girls doubles division, two mixed doubles divisions ... I’m unsure of the format yet.”

Snyder has sent invitations to more than 30 tennis organizations in the region — and does so annually — including tennis clubs, country clubs, swim clubs, etc. Only four have entered this year’s tournament thus far with the entry deadline set for Tuesday.

“I’m anticipating getting a few more teams,” Snyder said. “But I’ve come to believe a lot of invited clubs don’t opt in because they can’t fill that 18-under spot.”

The four participating teams thus far are host Butler Country Club, Butler Junior Tennis, Lakevue Athletic Club and Mount Lebanon.

Lakevue Athletic Club, out of Valencia, is the defending champion and will host this event if it rains. There were six teams in last year’s competition.

The most teams to ever participate in the West Penn Junior Mixed Team Tennis Championships has been 12.

Play begins at 10 a.m. Thursday and is open to the public at no charge.