Courtside: by CA Tennis Pro Mike Lissner   MORE

2 US OPEN BUS TRIPS on 8-26-2008 MORE

ADULT DISTRICTS: PhotoShow

Columbia Association Tournaments

USTA Divisions:         Updated: 07/22/2008             When you renew USTA membership, select RENEW,  Not NEW MEMBERSHIP, EVEN AFTER EXPIRATION.

What is a DIVISION? Any one of the four National league programs offered and administered by the USTA (USA League Tennis - Adult, USA League Tennis - Senior, USA League Tennis - Mixed Doubles and USA League Tennis — Super Senior) and any other USTA Area, District or Section sanctioned program identified as part of TennisLink and entered as part of the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System.  

 If you are interested in Captaining a team, Please contact Liz Baker or Jim Lawson

WOULD YOU LIKE TO APPEAL YOUR 2007 END OF YEAR RATING?  

Use caution. do not use this method to determine if you are within guidelines for appeal. Once you appeal "that's it"

 If so, go to the TennisLink site

On the right, towards the top, click on “find a rating”

When that page comes up, type in your USTA number – NOT YOUR NAME

Your rating will appear.

It will also ask if you would like to appeal your rating.

If so, click on Appeal, and proceed accordingly.

 YOU CAN ONLY APPEAL ONCE.

YOU CANNOT GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR RATING IS WITHIN .05 OR .10

 If your rating is in appeal range, your appeal will automatically be granted. 

Otherwise, you will be advised that your appeal is denied.

CAPTAINS – MUST NOT APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THEIR PLAYERS.

 No change for medical appeals – you must complete an Appeal Form and forward to the address stated on the form, together with a $20.00 check and medical documentation from your treating physician.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Pam Leibfreid, Sectional League Coordinator:

leibfreid@mas.usta.com

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     Team Reg.   new 2007- Please send an e-mail to Jim stating that you have used this format. You will receive a confirmation that the TRF has been received.

   PLEASE REVIEW SECTION RULE 10 IF YOU ARE PLAYING ON MORE THAN ONE TEAM                      

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2008 Winter Mix

2007 Adult gender forms:

Team Registration

Triumph Tennis Center:

Cattail Creek Country Club Tennis:

USTA Leagues at Cattail Creek Country Club. For additional information, contact Julie Seanz                

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    Columbia Association Tournament Dates for 2008

   Flag Day: June 2 thru June 8

   Summer Smash: July 21-27

   Club Championship: September 2  through September 7

   Fifth Annual Turkey Shootout: November 28 through November 30.

Understanding Section Rule 10:

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  SELF RATING ISSUES:

BASIC TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY SELF RATING:

AT THE TOP OF THE TENNISLINK HOME PAGE, YOU WILL SEE A “STICK FIGURE” WHICH SAYS “NTRP RATING HELP”  - PLEASE ENCOURAGE ALL CAPTAINS AND NEW PLAYERS TO VIEW THIS FIRST SO THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SELF RATING EXPERIENCE. THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO THEM AND WILL AVOID COMMON PROBLEMS NEW PLAYERS HAVE.

PLEASE ENCOURAGE CAPTAINS NOT TO SELF RATE THEIR PLAYERS.  ONCE A CAPTAIN STARTS THE SELF RATING PROCESS,  THEY USUALLY GET HALFWAY THROUGH AND REALIZE THEY DON’T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE PLAYER TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.  THEY “X” OUT THINKING THEY’LL CHECK WITH THE PLAYER AND DO IT AGAIN.  IT’S TOO LATE, THE SYSTEM HAS ALREADY ASSIGNED A RATING.

1. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS
2. DO NOT CLICK ON THE BACK ARROW
3. DO NOT ‘X’ OUT AND TRY TO GO BACK TO CHANGE ANYTHING
4. WHEN YOU GET TO THE END, IF YOU RECEIVE A LOWER RATING THAN WHAT YOU WANT, YOU CAN CHANGE IT FOR A HIGHER RATING.
5. IF YOU SEE THAT A PLAYER HAS NOT CHANGED THEIR SELF RATING, e.g. SELF RATED AS A 2.0 BUT PLAYING IN A 3.5 LEAGUE, PLEASE HAVE THE PLAYER CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY TO CHANGE THEIR RATING, EVEN IF THEY HAVE PLAYED MATCHES, SO THAT THE RATING SYSTEM IS NOT CONTAMINATED.
6. IF YOU RECEIVE A HIGHER RATING THAN WHAT YOU WANT, YOU MUST CLICK ON APPEAL AND FILE ELECTRONICALLY.  THIS IS THE QUICKEST AND MOST EFFICIENT WAY OF DOING THIS.
7. IF A PLAYER DOES RECEIVE A HIGHER RATING THAN WHAT THEY WANT AND THEY FAIL TO FILE AN ELECTRONIC APPEAL, THEY MUST CONTACT ME FOR A BACKGROUND HISTORY FORM.  THEY CANNOT FILE A REGULAR END OF YEAR APPEAL FORM.

 PLEASE EDUCATE YOUR CAPTAINS ABOUT THIS SO THEIR NEW PLAYERS HAVE A SMOOTH SELF RATING EXPERIENCE.

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National Events

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Tri-Levels

TRI-LEVEL LEAGUES

Tri-Level format:  A recreational league with 3 double positions per match played at three straight NTRP levels so friends can play together on one team, but play within their level.  

Example: One double team of 2.5s, One double team of 3.0s, and one double team of 3.5s = One Tri Level Team

Objective:  Develop a format that would help create new league play in areas that currently do not have enough players or limited players at a given NTRP level. Encourage league recruitment and participation by teams of members with different NTRP levels, to play in a “socially competitive” program.

NTRP range variations within a league structure can be organized to best suit local demands--leagues can be framed to include any three levels of play per match.  This format would be included in the League menu and offer coordinators the flexibility to tailor programs to community needs.  Tri-Level would emphasize play at the local level, where fun and team camaraderie is the key, not competition.  Play would stop with the local league or with possibly one round of playoffs at the area/district level.      

High-level guidelines/rules

·     Play occurs at three NTRP levels per match

·     Doubles teams are straight-level

·     Minimum age is19 years old

·     NTRP based (with use of TennisLink), with computer- or self-rated players

·     USTA membership required

·     TennisLink use required registration and reporting

·     No NTRP disqualification

·     Otherwise, regulations should be minimized to permit maximum reasonable flexibility at the local level

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GLOSSARY
• Appeal: Request for reconsideration of a previous decision, determination or finding.
• Area: Geographic boundaries within a USTA section. May be interchanged
with the terms District, State, CTA, Region, etc.
• Benchmark rated player: A player, who advanced to championship or was
disqualified, by whom other players’ NTRP computer ratings are calculated.
• Benchmark rating: A computer rating determined by the USTA NTRP
Computer Rating System for a player using a combination of their dynamic
rating and their rating derived at championships.
• Championship level: Any USA League Tennis Program competition held beyond local league competition or playoffs.
• Coman Tiebreak Procedure: The same as the present Tiebreak except that ends are changed after the first point, then after every four points, and at the conclusion of the Tiebreak. The scoring is the same as a traditional set or match Tiebreak. Beneficial in doubles as players continue to serve from the same side as during the set.
• Computer rating: An NTRP level assigned at year-end that reflects level of ability.
• Competitive: A match where the outcome is unpredictable.
• Compatible: A match where the outcome is predictable, with the higher rated player winning routinely.
• Default: When a player or team fails to appear or is removed by an administrator or tournament official for misconduct or violation of regulations.
• Disqualification: Action taken to remove from a team a player deemed ineligible to participate.

• Division: Any one of the four National league programs offered and administered by the USTA (USA League Tennis - Adult, USA League Tennis - Senior, USA League Tennis - Mixed Doubles and USA League Tennis — Super Senior) and any other USTA Area, District or Section sanctioned program identified as part of TennisLink and entered as part of the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System.

• Dynamic rating:A rating associated with a player that has the potential to
change with every match played by the player.
• Eligibility: Qualifications to play.
• Flight: A group of teams competing at a specified NTRP level within a local league or Championship competition where every team in that group plays every other team to declare a winner. When flights are established, a playoff must be held at Championship level to determine a champion in that NTRP level. Below championship level, the playoff may be held to determine a champion in that NTRP level.
• Forfeits: See Default.
• Grievance: Written formal complaint regarding an alleged violation of a regulation or procedure.
• Individual match: Any singles or doubles match played as part of a team match.
• League coordinator: Person appointed or hired to implement and administer the Program.
• League progression: Local league team winners have the opportunity to advance through area, sectional and national championships competition.
• League year: January 1 through December31.
• Level of play: NTRP skill levels offered in the Program.

• Local league: A team competition in a specified geographical area that applies specific local league regulations and consists of NTRP level(s) with a minimum of two or more teams per NTRP level. A local league may choose to divide any or all NTRP levels into flights. Where flights are used, a playoff structure may be established to determine a champion.
• Match tiebreak: First to 10 by a margin of two. (See www.usta.com — Rules, #27)
• New player: One who does not have an NTRP computer rating (generated within the last three years).
• NTRP: National Tennis Rating Program
• NTRP Disqualification criteria: Having reached disqualification level three times, as designated in the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System Procedures, during the local league competition and/or any level of championship competition below the national championships in the adult or senior division.
• NTRP Computer Methodology Procedures: The document establishing procedures governing the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System.
• Player: The individual USTA Member who registers on a team.
• Rating: See Computer rating, Benchmark rating, Self-rating and Dynamic rating.
• Rest period: A maximum of ten minutes with coaching permitted between the 2nd and 3rd set when playing best of three tie-break sets.
• Retirement: Occurs when an individual match has started and a player is unable to continue due to injury, loss of condition or emergency. Retirements are entered in TennisLink with the final game count for NTRP calculation purposes (2-6, 1-3) and the system will automatically credit the individual receiving the retirement with sufficient games as to make them the winner of the match (2-6, 6-3, 1-0.)
• Round robin: Each team plays every other team in its flight.
• Self-rating: An entry rating determined by the new player entering the program in accordance with the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) Guidelines by