2014 Florida Player Survey

Survey Results
& Analysis
for
2014 USTA League Player Survey
Monday, December 08, 2014
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Executive Summary
This report contains a detailed statistical analysis of the results to the survey
titled 2014 USTA League Player Survey . The results analysis includes answers
from all respondents who took the survey in the 76 day period from Thursday,
September 18, 2014 to Wednesday, December 03, 2014. 996 completed
responses were received to the survey during this time.
Survey Results & Analysis
Survey: 2014 USTA League Player Survey
Author: D. Cobb
Filter: In question "Section you play in:" the respondent selected "6. Florida"
Responses Received: 996
1) Age:
2) Gender:
3) Ethnicity: (Optional)
4) Marital status:
5) Highest level of education you completed:
6) Career/Job:
7) Section you play in:
8) State you play in:
9) Your NTRP level:
10) Was this your first year playing USTA League?
11) How many years have you played USTA League?
12) How did you learn about USTA League? (Please check all that apply.)
13) Please rate your league experience compared to five years ago with 10
being the best.
14) How likely is it that you would recommend USTA League to a friend?(1-not
likely 10-very likely)
15) In 2014 you participated in which USTA League(s)? (Please check all that
apply.)
16) What is your primary reason for playing USTA League?
17) Were your league matches competitive? Please rate them with 10 being the
most competitive and 1 the least competitive.
17.1) Local Matches(Were your league matches competitive? Please rate them
with 10 being the most competitive and 1 the least competitive.)
17.2) District Championship(Were your league matches competitive? Please
rate them with 10 being the most competitive and 1 the least competitive.)
17.3) Section Championship(Were your league matches competitive? Please
rate them with 10 being the most competitive and 1 the least competitive.)
17.4) National Championship(Were your league matches competitive? Please
rate them with 10 being the most competitive and 1 the least competitive.)
18) At what type of tennis facility do you play your local or "home" league tennis
matches?
19) Do you plan on playing in the 2015 USTA League season?
20) If no, please identify the primary reason for not playing next season.
21) Do you currently play or plan to play in the Adult 40&Over League?
22) Do you like the format for the Adult 40&Over League (3 doubles, 2 singles)?
Local leagues have the option to offer alternative formats.
23) If the format were to change, which would you prefer?
24) Where do you find ongoing information about USTA Leagues? (Choose all
that apply.)
25) What can we do to improve your USTA League Tennis experience?
(Choose all that apply.)
26) What brand of smartphone do you use? (Select your primary mobile phone if
you have more than one.)
27) Are you aware that USTA Leagues has a mobile app available for iPhone?
28) Please rate your experience using the iPhone app with 10 being the best.
29) Are you aware that there is a USTA Team Management tool available?
30) If yes, have you used it?
31) Please rate your experience using the Team Management tool wtih 10 being
the best.
32) Which brand of tennis ball do you buy? (Choose all that apply)
33) What is the highest price you're willing to pay for a 3-ball can of your favorite
brand of tennis balls?
34) Your feedback is important to us. Please add any additional comments here.
Your feedback is important to us. Please add any additional comments here.
I do not care for the new age divisions. I liked it a lot better when there was only
18 and over and 50 and over. We have young women at our club who have no
team to play on because they are not 40 and the 18 and overs play at night
when they are home with their children.
On the website,it would be helpful to show when leagues are coming up on the
calendar, e.g. Adults 18+ is scheduled to start in mid-Jan.
In the this survey these are all fluff questions. Ask us about the new age
divisions and about 5.0 players playing in our division. Ask us about the league
coordinators doing their jobs, or making us make decisions that they should be
doing. Players are not happy. This is our league but we have in voice. Please
think about asking us real questions. Lisa Miller ..90-614-2552.
People who participate in tennis at any level need to learn tennis etiquette
(Ethics). Too many ARE NOT familiar.....
The rating system is unfair and discourages players from participating.
In our section the league Cordinator plays out of a competing tennis center.
They start all new players attitude .5 regardless of what previous experience in
athletics They have had.
I don't think players understand some of the rules and etiquette of USTA tennis.
It is very frustrating to play with these players. It seems as part of membership in
the USTA players should be required to take a test periodically which would
remind them of basics (like a ball that hits any part of a line is in, and that
players should not cheer for team mates from the sidelines). Common sense
things but you would be very surprised about the lack of knowledge among
league players!
The folks in Pensacola Florida are very frustrated with having to travel to
Daytona or recently Altamonte Springs to play in the sectional championships.
We have travel further than any other regions and more often than not, we will
only be placed in a draw that affords us 3 matches. We more often than not
have the early match Friday morning which requires we leave Pensacola on a
Thursday morning resulting in our having to miss two days of work and have an
extra night in a hotel. Not to mention with adding the new 40 and over, the 18
and over miss out playing 1/2 the year. Daytona is no longer special - you can
go anytime you want. We so liked it better when we played a Regional match
first. While that sometimes meant two trips, the Regionals were always at a
great location. Sorry to be a nay sayer but really, the changes have not been
well received.
It doesn't pay to do well in league play. If you advance to championships, your
rating goes up. I am 53 years old and worked my butt off to play the best I can to
advance to sectionals/nationals. Everything hurts! I cannot sustain this level of
training and I get bumped to 5.0! Not only do I get ousted from 2 local leagues,
because they don't allow greater than 4.5 level players, I cannot compete
against the young 5.0 players. I am done with USTA. It's been a good ride but
punitive.
The league championship format should be given back to the local captains to
decide. Round robin format at season end is not good. If the first team loses, the
next time it's almost guaranteed they will not have a full team for the next match
because they know they are out of it. It's happened that way the last 2 yrs. In
Florida, we play most teams twice in league play, so league championship
should be single elimination 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 and then final.
Combo leagues are confusing. It needs to be more clear as to the combination
of rankings allowed. We ended up with 2.5 not realizing they can't play with 3.5
even though the adding if the rankings is below 6.5.
40+ league....one court of singles & 4 courts of dbls
You are loosening a lot senior players buy bumping players up too 4.5 ect not
being age related
Please stop letting new people rating themselves as 3.0's. They miss so much
in learning the rules, how to play doubles, etc. They cause disruptions to team
performance,extra work for caotains, lack of knowledgw in tennis 101. allowance
for underranked players on teams should be 2 or less.
Not enough matches durning or season. We avg only 6 matches. Also daytona
beach is to far to travel for sectionals. We live in Pensacola and it is farther to
travel than anyone else.
I wish there was more regulation around the self rating of individuals that play
within the league. Many players rate themselves lower than they should be
which makes it difficult for beginning players.
ALL league matches should count towards the dynamic rating . . . gender,
mixed, & combo. Singles players are penalized by the dynamic rating system,
whereas, doubles players are less likely to get bumped.
League Coordinator has TO MUCH control of team(s) makeup. It seems it is
about money in her pocket.
If your 54 born is 1960 , your screwed .as far as choices for league play, your
like in limbo
The main reason I will not play USTA again is the rain make up rules. You need
to either split points with a team or work a rain make up date into the schedule.
Trying to find a day/time to make up those games is too difficult
I've had no problems, and enjoy Usta league play
Need 75 and over league for Florida play
Sorry I will not be playing USTA anymore.I loved it but a lot has happened to me
in the last couple of years.No one wants me on a team anymore.only reason I
played the over 55 league was because I was the captain.I have had 2 back
surgeries in the last few years,I have two tears on the miniscus on each knee
and I will soon be 64 years old.I do not have the mobility I once had.Iloose year
after year but remain a4.0.I won 1 match this year,played against a gal coming
off a hip injury who had not played in 6 weeks.I will miss USTA but when no one
wants you on their team it is kind of hard to play.Furthermore I thing Polk County
should be looked at as far as ratings go.Our teams win the local level and then
go to sectional etc and get blown out in almost all divisions.Thank you for your
time.Rhonda Young. 863 6604338
Your lack of communication on the ratings and how they fluctuate is horrible. We
never know how you players may stand through the season with the dynamic
ratings you apply after each match. We never know if we violated a rule until it is
done. We need to know if we violate so we can not play the person and put the
team in a liable position to prevent advancement.
I think rule of age of not being able to move up over 65 is not fair. If you are
rated 3.0 or 3.5 or ?.whatever . Age should not matter if you are willing to play
competitive matches. Win or lose....maybe I have the rule incorrect I hope
so....being up in years should not hold a person back...
the rating system is a joke. Nobody has any idea how and why a rating may
change. Mine changed last year RETROACTIVELY!!! and caused my team to
lose games!! Nuts
Need better regulation of ratings. NTRP ratings are based on specific skills. Why
does USTA move players up or down based on win/loss records?
I have played tennis since I was 10 yrs old and the USTA has always been part
of it, including my mother going to Nationals 2 times when I was young. And my
husband going to Nationals in Nov:) This year was the most difficult year ever!
First, we missed an entire 40&over season for some reason missing the change
of starting dates. When you are over 50, having the over 40 league is a great
thing, so missing it was disappointing! Our 18&over mixed season was filled with
gamesmanship from other captains, including not making up matches in a timing
manner,(I mean not even in 2 months) recording incorrect scores, recording the
incorrect players, It was virtually impossible to make lineups effectively with all
this going on. I had a captain leave after a 10 min lightning delay, without
notifying she was leaving, only to come back at the rescheduled match with an
entire different lineup. Really? We went to away matches where the captain only
cleaned/rolled his courts! And this was just the tip. I always have played fair and
in the spirit of the game, but honestly, I am completely frustrated with this
season. I have had this team for several years. We truly value each other both
on and off the court It is just too bad many others in Central Florida do not.
I was in a 4.0 league with 4 teams. Most of the players on the other teams were
3.0-3.5 players so I don't believe I should be rated 4.5. While I am decent, I am
a solid 4.0.
more notice of upcoming leagues never learn of them until it is too late to sign
up make formal public announcements
Changing the senior age from 50 to 55 was a bad idea....limits play for a lot of
us which is not the point of playing tennis.
Have weighted points for line played
Playing league is getting EXPENSIVE......
In south florida there is a problem with country clubs limiting percentages of
residents versus outsiders. The boards of these communities do not understand
the system(higher rating fewer players, harder to meet percentages, and having
a team in the community does not mean every match is played at their facility.
Their residents are also playing at other facilities). If the league coordinator
would hold meetings at these facilities, a lot more of them would have teams.
When you have 4.5 leagues with only 2 teams, it is not as fun. This also leads to
the players just wanting to set up their own round robin type formats instead of
usta.
There should be more regulation of players. In 2.5 and 3.0 leagues, there are
4.0 players who should be rated as such. They do not make it fun for those of us
who are correctly rated.
Penalize teams for flipping lineups (ie. Having the best players playing lower
lines simply to win a match)
Would like to see 40+ Adult leagues go to 1 singles and 4 doubles
My only complaint is the usta rating system. I definitely am a 3.0 player but the
computer refuses to advance me.
I believe the rating system needs to modified tremendously. I do not feel it
appropriate to allow players to play up a level and win matches, but be
penalized for actually playing at their level. It is a contradiction of sorts.
It's too hard to get on a team here in the Naples, FL area.
I wish the USTA 65+ leaque was an over 60 league and 3.5, not 7.0. It seem
like it is harder to get enough older players for 65+. Also with the 7.0 you are
self rating, I think it should be rating on the wins and losses.
I do not like the double adult leagues from Jan - Mar. and Mar. - May. Keep it as
one league Adult 18 + Charge more for the fee if you want more money.
one question said check all that apply but you could only check one item!
Please keep 5.0 Players that were rated in early start up. Change age groups
back to where there were. Do not have Fla. only rules
Reintroduce super senior 65+ nationally with national championships!!!
I think that the 40+ division should only have 1 line of singles or none at all. It is
very difficult to find players!!
They raised the price from$ 18 to $25 per team registration. That is a huge
increase for one year and want to know why it!!! That's almost a 15% increase
and what do we get for it??
There is no available authority to help with disputes on the court. Players
disregard rules and ruin the experience.
Find more ways for 18+ to play.
Transparency to individuals on how ratings are formulated would be
appreciated.
Player ratings don't match on Tennislink after early ratings come out in August.
Under the team roster listing, it will say the correct (new) rating, but if you go to
that person's main page, the old rating still shows. The search tool is not very
good. If a person's name is misspelled, the search tool can't find it. It's hard to
find info on the site if you don't know your way around it already - needs to be
tested using people who don't already know how to use it.
Not enough players at 4.0 level since once u are 4.5 you get restricted in other
leagues of local play. USTA is the stepsister league in Orlando.. Hope that
changes w/ lake Nona USTA facility coming to town.
The rules that the USTA has recently implemented in our area regarding
non-identical rosters and the way that local league playoffs are determined is
absolutely horrible. It is not fair and ridiculous. There are so many players that
are disappointed with the way the playoffs are determined and the amount of
teams that were in second place having a chance to go to sectionals. The USTA
has to re-examine the policies on determining how teams will advance from the
local league to the sectional level. The players in Collier County want to see
changes.
I'm not playing in the Combo league this fall, but would like to play in the 55+
league this coming winter. What is the best way to find a team?
I have a real concern with how the rating system is used. A player's win/loss
record at their current level should be used to determine if the rating needs to be
raised or lowered.
I played on a 55 MXD team and they make us play matches in summer at 3:00
pm. Sr. should be given priority and play early morning in the summer.
The one problem that 100% of the time diminishes post season play is the large
number of self rated players that are out of level. I realize usta needs new
players to join but there needs to be a limit per team so that one team can't have
4 of 8 players self rated to beat out teams with players that have been in system
for some time. Maybe limiting teams to one self rated player would make a more
level playing field.
I don't understand why you have an age division now. It makes it difficult in FL
for younger players to play USTA & feels very biased. If someone is a level then
what does age matter? It doesn't make sense for me to continue to be a
member of USTA if I'm only allowed to play a few matches a year if any..
Meanwhile the older players can play in any league they want. This is why I am
ending my membership.
The free agent list should be a great way to give new league players an
opportunity to play league. However not all players on the list are recruited to
play, generally because they are new and unknown by the captains.
When I went to local playoff had problem with local coordinator about location,
home court & day or night. At sectionals our team played each morning 7:30,
getting to semifinals played in morning and again hour later after finishing while
our opponents came fresh as they did not have a am match?
Although I would pay $2.99 for a can of 3 balls...Iwould rather NOT ! The rules
for league tennis should be reviewed and modified to address real live
situations.
As a higher level player who is now 43 years old, the USTA makes it extremely
difficult to play league tennis. It makes absolutely no sense that a 43 year old
former collegiate tennis player who is a 5.0 cannot play in the 18 & over league.
I have absolutely no competition in the 40 & over league. If you are trying to
keep higher level players who are 40 & over from getting competitive tennis,
then you are doing a great job. The age should only come into factor for 4.5 and
below. 5.0 players are so hard to find, even in Florida. Please let us compete on
the 4.5 teams in the 18 & over division. It is just not fair that we are kept out of
playing with younger, more competitive players. We cannot even field a 5.0
team in our counties, so it is imperative that the USTA understand that 5.0 and
above players are very few and far between and we deserve to be able to
compete with EVERY age level.
Ratings are unfair, I've been trying to get mine raised and it won't let me. Don't
understand them.
The types of leagues and when they play can be a bit confusing. I wish there
was more opportunity to play mixed double. Although this is rec tennis, some
teams get so competitive that sometimes the fun and joy of playing and getting
to know each other is lost.
Most of my friends do not like the league separated adult 18 and over, adult 40
and over. We are paying double in order to play weekly.
Your computer scoring of individual ratings is terrible. If a player improves to a
3.6-3.9, they are bumped up to 4.0 status. Then the 4.0 teams will not play that
person as he isn't good enough to play and win in the 4.0 section.
Ratings should NOT change for players over 65. Plus changing the ages from
50 to 55 and eliminating the 60's and 50's was not a good idea. However, my
reasons an the reasons of my friends mean nothing to USTA.
THE MAJOR COMPLAINT AMONG ALL THE PLAYERS IS WHEN WE ARE
RATED HIGHER THAN WE ARE AND WE TRY TO GET THE APPEAL, IT
NEVER WORKS, SOME PLAYERS HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PLAY
BECAUSE OF THEIR RATING, THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THAT
RATING AND NOBODY WANTS THEM IN THEIR TEAM, IN MEANTIME, THE
APPEALS ARE NEVER POSTIVE EVEN WITH GOOD EXCUSES
My whole experience in the league was awful, people that have good tennis
skils rate themselves at a low ranking and do appeals to lie and play at a lower
level, and even the captain promotes this type of behaviors. I see that they just
play and lie to win to advance to the sectionals. I am competitive but honest
We need to educate the public about joining USTA. You do not have to be a pro
in order to play.Advertise more, add programs to get the message out.
The teams are stacked. Sometimes too many on some teams. Hard to know
who the captains are in order to get on a team. I just haven't figured it out.
I think it's too confusing all the levels and ages and then percentage of lower
level players. I preferred the longer seasons. As captain last year, I was
stressed and felt that it would be more worthwhile for a longer season. I am
looking at other leagues that are settled for a longer season.
I really wish especially at the 2.5 level you'd ask the captains to play everyone
as evenly as possible. The team we played, played mainly the same girls each
time they played so they could win the county. The lesser players payed USTA
fees and hardly didn't get to play. Isn't fair really.
The rankings from the spring 2014 season didn't get posted until 2 weeks until
registration for the fall leagues. This is not enough time to get a team together!!
Half my team moved up in ranking, and moved on to other teams. Those of us
left back as 3.0 players got left hanging out to dry because we didn't have
enough time to find enough 3.0 players to complete the roster. My community
now has NO 3.0 USTA team, and I won't get to play. I'll be left behind by all my
friends as they improve and move up and I'm back at 3.0 with no team and no
chance to move up.
USTA'S ranking system is broken. The ranking system needs more levels and a
more effective system for moving players to the appropriate level.
I realize USTA adult leagues help fund the junior program but overall the
program is too expensive--both membership and team registration fees.
I will be 70 years old in several weeks and would like it if you had better 70 and
over: local, sectional and national competitions.
The season is too short! Too few matches. We organize all this and usually only
get six matches! I'm having trouble recruiting people to play because they don't
feel they get good value for their time/money.
Change sectional location Daytona is getting old.
No comment.
Having 40+ & 18+ leagues is too much. Please eliminate the 40+ league.
There has to be a better way of rating players. As I age my rating needs to go
down. I'm tired of playing people that are rated 3.5 and are either 4.0 or I need
to be dropped to 3.0.
I would like to be able to see my rating to the .00. I know it shows you 3.5 but I
would like to see how close it is to moving up t the next level.
Did not like 3.5 40 and over. We have 22 3.5 at our club. All should be Able to
play in all 3.5 competition. A 3.5 is a 3.5 no matter what your age is.
Overall every woman and man I know that plays usta which is about 100 women
and about 50 men on various local teams that I play with are all extremely
disappointed in usta overall due to the elimination of the singles season and the
elimination of the 3rd set to a tie break. You are trying to grow tennis and all you
are doing is shrinking it and making the league so much less than it was. We
have to join other leagues to get the singles in kswiss and local ladders that are
not a team environment. We all miss usta as it was.
Do not feel the ratings for some club members is true....one team did not lose a
match and possibly numerous 4.0 players.
Keeping age and ability level as equal as possible in league play is critical for
program growth. It is that simple!
Sectional championships were a joke...extreme favoritism for one team. It was
totally unfair to the other teams
I have played USTA from the day I came to Orlando. It has many things that are
good. But there seems to be aspects that are so entrenched it seems it cannot
change. A huge disconnect is going on in the national level versus the local
level. I do not know why?
Glad to hear that the Nat'l Rule for players has been updated
Need more options for 4.5 level players at 55 an over level. Not all of us are
retired. It's unfair that ratings stay at higher level even after a significant
injury/surgery (knee replacement). Ultimate Tennis flex leagues offer flexibility.
I think playing on the teams is expensive and that will limit how many teams I'm
able to play on in the future. We have local county leagues that are less than
half the cost of the USTA leagues.
The TennisLink pages were faulty all season this year. I could not move in and
out of player or match records without the page freezing up after 1 click into a
new page. Using compatibility view and making it a trusted website did not help.
I do not have this issue with other websites, so it's not my computer.
I would like to get rid of the 40+ league as well as the 3 set 10 point tie break. I
would also like to see a "weighted" line-up.
I feel like some of the leagues have been condensed to make room for
combo/mixed leagues. It is frustrating to pay the same amount for each league
and one league may only have 6 matches.
More 70 plus leagues
I'd love to have an app for Android!
Regulate player levels more. Some guys are way too good to be 3.0
End secrecy on the NTRP rating.
Think rating system needs to be looked at. With leagues not playing all the time.
When get opportunity to play it is at different position/partners so loses are more
than wins as a result. Sucks rating drops even though the matches don't reflect
your level.
I would like to make the third set a regular set instead of that silly 10 point
tiebreaker.
Wish you could email out some kind of announcements about USTA teams
forming, especially these combo leagues. I only. Seem to hear about many
"teams" after the fact! Would love to join the fun! It seems to be word of mouth
to put together rosters. And combo teams, how do u find out about when &
where these events are?
The local league coordinators in Pinellas county could do much better. They
seem to barely do the minimum required compared to other counties in Florida.
Too many overlapping league seasons. Some seasons are too short and
players do not feel they get their money's worth. There is a lot of confusion at
times as to what leagues are starting.
Combo in the Fall divides all of us up and teams are hard to find to get on
because there are sooo many 3.5s!! We all loved playing a regular league play
in the fall...it was a great way to get ready for the spring and form great pairings
for doubles. In the spring there should be less to no singles...not that many
ladies play singles and we end up taking turns and no one wants to do it.
I HAVEN'T EVEN PLAYED MY FIRST MATCH, BUT THE COSTS SEEMS TOO
HIGH. $44 FOR USTA MEMBERSHIP AND $18 TO JOIN A TEAM! I AM
RETIRED AND ON A BUDGET.
I do not like the 40+ league has 5.0s playing in the 4.5 league. Some teams do
not have 5.0s in their area to play for them so should they play against a team
with 1 or 2 5.0s, it is an automatic loss.
I'm not sure how the questions in this survey will help me as a player. I wish
USTA would stop adding more leagues and or seasons of play to make more
money. I would like yo he in a team for more than 5-8 weeks for my. 18 dollars.
And let the senior teams start as they did prior (55&) in the fall instead if Jan and
replacing with all these combo leagues.
I used to live in Northern California (San Francisco Bay area) and Miami, FL
which have numerous USTA teams that I could participate on. I am disappointed
that there are very few USTA teams in Southern Palm Beach County in Florida.
Our new local league coordinator is trying to get more USTA leagues started but
it has not been easy to compete with several established local leagues.
There is a HUGE disparity between the level of 3.0 play in palm beach county
and in Daytona for sectionals.
Need more participation in Metro Orlando
Wish the leagues only had one line of singles and four doubles
The ratings in this section stink!!! Whatever system they use is doing an injustice
to the players, teams, and leagues. If a player plays #1 singles always, he/she
plays the best player from the other team. Maybe hi/her record could suffer from
that. He/she might be the best player on the team but get his/her rating lowered
because of that. Should he/she be forced to play 3rd doubles to pad his/her
record in order to keep his/her rating?? I don't think he/she should be forced into
that just to keep a rating. The best player on the team gets lowered because of
constantly playing better competition while average players coast thru playing
lower court doubles and keep their rating. This stinks!! I am not playing USTA
leagues again, until something is done to correct this.
I wish there were opportunities for a 60 and over Division on my local area.
Regionals in daytona change the set schedule one week before play. Which
creates longer time away from home and work creates problems. Finishing local
turnaround to sectionls to nationals Ned more time to prepare... Giving 4-6
weeks isn't enough time to get air hotel at discounted rates
I just moved to Florida, I lost 1 match in 2 years Playing in Pittsburgh my team is
going to Landsville Pa this week-end for districts , but I can't go but I'm looking
to start playing in Fl and have started meeting player
I look forward to USTA league play. I think the 40 & Over league can be
elimated. I also think the Adult 55 & Over should be changed to 50 & OVER.
I think too many people are focused on their ratings, people are not playing
USTA because they are afraid of their rating being dropped. People don't want
to play with certain people because of the fear that their partner will bring their
game down. Because of this there is so much bickering and fighting going on
between players on and off the courts and it has taken the joy of USTA tennis
away from the sport. I would much rather play on a league that is not a USTA
league because it is less pressure and less fighting.
MOST OF US MISS THE USTA LADIES LEAGUE IN THE SPRING AND FALL.
NOW BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES, I'M LUCK IF I PLAY ONE SEASON IN A
YEAR. THE NEW CHANGES DID NOT IMPROVE ANYTHING. ARE YOU
LISTENING? WHAT GOOD IS THIS SURVEY IF YOU AREN'T INTERESTED
IN LISTENING TO US TO CHANGE IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE.
Many of my friends do not play because of the cost of membership and Usta
cost to play.
I don't think that self rated players should be allowed to play in Sectionals. That
way, therewould be no DQ's at Sectionals.
Over the past couple of years, the USTA has made changes by adding more
age groups. At the same time, the total number of matches has been cut more
than in half. Previously, each team played each other twice and there was also a
playoff at the end between the top teams. For the past two years, each team
plays each other once and there is no longer a local playoff. While the amount of
play has drastically decreased, the cost to play in the league remains the same.
This leaves the impression that rather than having a purpose of promoting
tennis, the USTA has changed to a purpose of making more money. There is
another repercussion of less matches and no local playoff. Rather than the best
team reaching the higher level competitions, it has become more about which
team manages to have the best availability on a given day. In my local area,
there was a LARGE disparagement between the stats of the first and second
place teams. With the exception of the second place team's loss in the
head-to-head match, the second place team's stats were far superior in EVERY
category. That really makes one think that given an opportunity (that we used to
have) to either play each team twice or given a local playoff, the team who
advanced very likely would have been different. For those who have played in
these leagues a long time, this is very disheartening.
Think you new regulations for over 65 is unfair. It also makes it difficult when
you give an early start rating up and will automatically move back down on year
end rating. So many of us have started to play tennis late in life and have not
reached our potential by 65. You need to rethink this rule. Or should we start a
new body for seniors?
Local League Cord is Clueless. Communication is awful. Self rated Players are
Stupid, get the teaching pro's involved, enforce penalties. Section
Championships in Florida are poorly run. Lee County needs a Major overhaul.
We buy tennis balls by the case from Costco to get the best price
I live in citrus county and there aren't enough leagues in my area
you need to allow us access to the dates of the seasonal leagues earlier! Also
leagues should not over lap - ie, 18 and over league overlapped with the 40 and
over, and so on. that is ridiculous as the seasons are short as is.
Make it easier to get on a team. Diminish the cliques. Hold local try outs.
The only issue we have in the Jacksonville area is the bias one of the local
coordinators and his contact in Daytona has for one of the tennis tennis
communities. They tends to always rule in their favor of the community to the
dismay of other communities. Larry Jabin is the local coordinator and Sandy
Marshall is the contact in Daytona. Both persons have really hurt the reputation
of the USTA.
Most players really should be rated higher. Don't like matches being so far
away. Don't like the combo league.
Self rating system could be better. Maybe the local league coordinator should
help assess rating. Also, scheduling for sectionals should take into consideration
the teams traveling the farthest and changing time zones -- should not be
scheduled to play the early 7:30am matches.
Demographics plays a large part of our league play. We just dont have the
players that other districs have, so when we get to sectionals we R always
playing younger players. Weather the USTA wants to agree or not there is a
huge differance between a 4.0 22 year old & a 55 year old 4.0 male, & or
female. We usually win our district and get smoked at reginals!
the team format is disenfranchising most of your lower level 4.0 and 4.5 players.
the emphasis on winning as the main goal results in lopsided teams and no
place for many who would like to play.. The lack of oversite and equity is
shamefull
District league communication was horrible. My team wasn't able to play this fall
because the district emails were sent to the wrong person/email. We attempted
to notify the coordinator -we were 3 days late- who wasn't willing to work with a
regular team. I'm not getting value out of USTAA
Don't understand how ratings are determined. Would be helpful if the rating
formula was fully explained for everyone to know and understand. Also, league
participation cost increase was a bit on the expensive side. 40% is quite
steep!!!!!!
We only had four teams in our Naples, Fl 65 and over league. We could have
used four more.
Splitting the women into 18 and over and 40 and over has been a disaster. Now
we have fewer teams to play and we see the same 3 teams Over and over in
the season. Plus we have to pay league fees over and over. Finding singles for
the 40 and over is near impossible and now we won't have a team. Thanks a lot.
Now that my only Option to play is at night and I am 'stuck' playing USTA it has
become very difficult To enjoy competitive tennis. Thanks a lot again. At least do
us the favor of eliminating the singles from 40 and over league.
Usta needs to have a format similat to wtt
I don't like the split of 18 & over and then 40 & over. That is what I would
change. We are in a rural area and fielding teams at both levels is very difficult.
You play on the day you are available and captains scramble to not forfeit any
courts.
Update ratings sooner
I want more format of league.
You always ask for for feedback and never call. I give up. You don't want want
to promote the game , you just want to sell us open tickets. Who are you trying
to fool? The us deserves a better tennis organization.
This year, the leagues were played during the summer! Most players in Florida
don't play in the summer! More leagues should be during the better weather
months! I could not play in the Combo league or the 18+ league because of the
time played (too hot)!!!
Offer two seasons of Mens 40+ a year like you did in the past.
Sectional matches are played in extreme heat, two matches a day two days in a
row. Even the Pros don't have schedules like this. The matches are also played
in a heat index of well over 105 degrees...would love for the staff of the USTA to
play this schedule and then perhaps a change would be made.
I have a real issue with players who are self rated getting strikes and in some
instances DQ'd at the local level during their first year. For some of them it was
their first USTA team/league they have played on and probably their last
because of the distaste for the "system". In a county of weak 4.0's when
compared to other counties and their 4.0's (seems like our counties teams go to
sectionals and most of the time they lose in pool play 0-3, 0-4) and you DQ
someone before they get to sectionals where in another county they would be
competitive. It is also not fair when you bump people up to a 4.5 in our county
because if they work, there is no competitive night 4.5 league. Not enough
ladies...so they quit playing tennis and USTA...i had an 18 year old first time,
self rated singles player on my 4.0 team and she smoked the local competition
because most of the time she was playing 40+, 55+ women. She went to
sectionals and lost but she is on the early start to be moved up to 4.5. She will
have no where to play at night in my county because she goes to school during
the day. Another one time USTA member who will not renew. Also, gifts for
winning the local league should be revamped and the option added of $10 per
player discount to be used toward the $30 per person sectional cost.
I think once you get to be 55 the highest level for anyone should be 4.5 no
matter what experience level they have attained in the past.
I don't like all the different leagues. I think we should do away with the 40 and up
and extend the 18 and up season. There isn't as much play having these two
different leagues. I would rather have fees increased instead of having two
different leagues. It is hard to get enough players to foot a team and then trying
to make sure they get their two matches in with such a short season. Also, the
75% rule has messed up a lot of teams. We have players that bounce back and
forth between 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0. So some years we have enough for a team and
some years we don't.
I wish the app was available for Android phones.
our llc's change the rules to benefit their friends or don't follow the rules. too
much "going around" the rules.
this survey does not address players ratings. players rating themselves lower
than their rating. please do a survey about how we feel being killed at the courts
by these players season after season.
need verifiers at Section and National championships
Florida's events for seniors (40 and older) should not be played in thd middle of
summer with 90 plus degrees. Cramping heat stroke etc. took place on
SEVERAL teams. These players play all year round and are in shape. No
medical on site. Several were taken to the hospital. Have an ambulance on
medics on site for the whole weekend if we are playing in these conditions. 5.0
out of florida and 5.0 out of California ars two totally different players. Not fair.
5.0 in Californians are ex tour players. We cannot hang with them when we get
to nationals because our ratings in florida are harder. Not fair. Takes the fun our
of it. Been to nationals 5 times. We cannot hang with them. If wd are 50 and
older we should not be 5.0
Really do not like the age change couple of years ago from 50 to 55 leaves to
many people out 50 year olds do not want to play with 40 year olds,
they just increase the league fee and you will lose alot of players because some
of us play on many teams. we will cut that back
There is hardly any local USTA league to be had, so we shouldn't pay full price.
I love to play, but one league each year with only two teams is not worth the
cost. I comes out to $10 each time I get to play over the year. This is Florida and
I get to play year round, but there is only one season used around here. There
are no tournaments in the area ever.
It would be nice to have more singles courts or just singles. But combo could
have a singles from each rating. Such as 6.5 had a 3.0 singles and a 3.5 singles
and mixed could have one man one woman. It's nice to have the singles court
for strategy, additional players and more fun to enjoy.
I'm not a fan Of USTA however it is the primary option available for me. It's like
our government. Far from perfect but it's what we have. I do like scheduled
weekend tournaments Singles 3.5, most of these are all well ran. Your
increased fees for both leagues & tournaments will unfortunately will push me
out of both levels of competition upon my upcoming retirement. Earl S Claypool
#919676353
Need to somehow become more consistent in the rating process. It is still not
good - people winning local leagues for years & years are not bumped up.
TTHERE NEEDS TO BE A VERY CLEAR RULE ON USING CELL PHONES
DURING A MATCH originating from the USTA down to Sectional rule and into
the local league rules! In Florida it has been discovered that people can use
their cell phones during changeovers and between sets. This should only be
allowed when an official gives their permission for cell phone communication
AND can oversee such use to avoid people cheating by texting to and from their
nearby coach watching the match. In. Polk County, FL we just had a blatant
coach, player texting issue that could.not be definitively proved but opponents of
testers were 99.9% sure. Please work on this or matters will only get worse -much worse!
I was not happy about playing on hard courts in Orlando. Not only were we
suffering from the heat, but my back and knees hurt from playing on hard courts.
Pricing is terrible, and so is the scheduling
Some league coordinators tend to make up their own rules. There should be
standardized rules issued by the state USTA for all leagues.
The Florida "early start ratings" have got to go. It totally messes up the Fall
season in Florida.
Would like to see 65 men have national championship advancement opportunity
rules regarding ratings and appeals for 60+ players are unclear. i am happy that
there is now a nationals for 65+. however surprise ariz is awful and the spring
nationals for sr players makes no sense. lots of things can happen to older
people in a year! thanks.
If you change nothing, you still have a great thing going!
We did not like the scheduled time of 10:30. In Florida it is too hot to play at that
time during July and August. It should be 8:30 am.
Timing is everything! Be sure you can schedule adequate time for seasons to
correspond to sectionals and nationals. My wife had to wait six months between
the end of the season and the sectional. A lot happens in six months!
I do not like the self rating system as it allows much weaker player's into a level
of competition where they do not belong. It is not any fun to play either with or
against an improperly rated player.
Please consider a more strict rule about server foot fault. Allow opponent to site
it and create penalty if it continues
I miss the 50 and over.
Many of us miss the Fall league where we played at the 4.0 level regular format
singles and doubles. I would like to see 4 doubles and 1 single to put 9'players
on the court.
Your price jump is terrible from 17.00 to 25.00 and most of us are not happy with
USTA in recent years
I am a lifetime member recovering from cancer treatment. Due to side effects of
the treatment I have developed neuropathy and am not able to play. I am
currently planning on attending the Hippacrates Health Center in West Palm
Beach with the idea of the neuropathy gong away, and being able to play again.
Ratings not fair I haven't been able to play in 4.0 league I feel overwhelmed at
this level yet I don't get moved to 3.5 that's why I chose not to play anymore.
1.) Get rid of the 2 age groups for adult leagues. We are paying double for
leagues that have no time to play, especially in Pinellas when the 40+ and 18+
had 3 weeks of both leagues playing on the same day, no time for rain outs,
etc... 2.) Bring back the early start leagues. Combo leagues are not that popular,
players prefer the early start leagues in their levels and only play combo
because you took them away. If a team plays combo, they must put a true
combo team at all lines! 3.) If a team goes to Nationals, the rule that states 3 or
more cannot play on the same team the next year is bogus, especially this past
season when they could not play together (3 or more) in any age group, not just
in the age group the team qualified. 4.) Stupid to let 5.0 players play in any 4.5
league! 5.) Smart to hold Sectionals in different locations in the summer when
rain is prevalent! 6.) All college players should start at the 5.0 rating. 7.) If USTA
allows an appeal to a lower rating, that player should be safe for the entire year.
If you realize that people cheat, which they do - don't grant any appeals! 8.) If
only one team signs up for a season, especially in the higher levels, they should
be eligible to go to Sectionals...
i think there are too many leagues--combine 40&over with 18&over (same
players are usually on both leagues with a one or two additional players on
latter). i would like longer league dates for more play time (especially with
leagues that only have three or four registered teams). i would like usta league
play to be year round with a few weeks in between for down time--in florida
tennis can be played year round (currently there are no league play during the
fall months)
My only concern is playing ALL matches on clay courts for years; winning
league on clay; playing State on clay; and going to Nationals on Hard courts! At
64, I understand 65's are on hard also!?!? After two knee surgeries, back
issues, foot issues, it makes playing on hard courts VERY undesirable and
confusing. Especially, when so many younger divisions are played on clay!?!?
Sorry that you changed the age groups Made it difficult for older players I have
enjoyed traveling to many events all over the South but changing age made it
difficult I saw players lined up protesting at every event.
Great experience
1)In the above 40 leagues--4 doubles teams would be great. Hard to find singles
players. 2) Early Ratings is ridiculous. If you give a rating on Early Ratings--it
should be your rating for that year--NOT CHANGE IN JANUARY! 3)Our USTA
has multiple sessions during a year for a league. If you win multiple sessions in
a USTA year--you should WIN. Having to play ONE deciding match (after
playing tons of matches during the league) against the #2 team (who you beat in
the majority of the sessions) is absurd. After playing for months, and being the
decisive winner, it is ridiculous to have to play one more deciding match to
secure your victory--Why bother winning?? You could come in second and still
end up being the victor! It makes absolutely NO SENSE to anyone who hears
this rule. NO ONE!!!!
The USTA is difficult to work with as a team captain. Ratings are not logical or
consistent. Need to do a better job.
Your biggest problem is allowing players to self rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
live in a major metro area but still no leaugs for 40 and up. Some matches over
an hour drive and usta 5 year membership has gone up too much. don't think i
will be re-joining.
although I want to see the Jr. programs improve I feel too much has been taken
from the seniors who have contributed for many years. more should be
happening at sectionals for the seniors. also a better way of rateing needs to
happen. as a 4.0 I end up facing higher levels and cannot compete against
them.
you are priceing yourself out of business 40$ up is too much for a year
I didn't like changing who I played with each time. I like a consistent partner.
Fees this year went up in Florida to $25 per season. We average about 7 or 8
games per season. For the fall and winter sessions we are now paying $50.
That is up from $18 per session.
I will play USTA League tennis as long as I'm able ... and ... as long as it
continues to be fun. That could change if my NTRP were to change. Thanks for
asking me to comment! I've love to see the results of this survey!
better scheduling of sectionals. Having florida sectionals same weekend as
nationals so people are having to chose or scramble to qualify new people for
team. Sectionals for mixed are very close to nationals. Not much time to plan.
40 and over mixed are all on the same weekend. People have to chose one
team instead of being able to play on two levels. Singles at 40 and over is
difficult... not very many people want to play singles competitively at that age. It
should be just doubles or just one singles. With having to field 5 lines in each
match it is difficult in some areas to find enough players. So there are not
enough of local league teams to compete against. Less lines to fulfill would
mean more teams maybe able to fielded since they would need less players.
usta nationals are played almost a year after qualifying(to long) and are played
on hard courts(most players 65 and up play on soft courts(not good)
USTA ratings are not accurate. Too many players under rate themselves to
allow for easier matches.
Hate the combo league
You have to fix the web site. it is hard to navigate and as a captain difficult to
use for scoring. The I phone app is fantastic! but I have an android so I use
team members phones to enter scores.....GET GOOD APP FOR ANDROID!!!!
League participation in our area is lousy. Usually there are only 2 teams playing
per league, really!!! We have a county that has around 1 million people and that
is all you get muster. Years ago we had anywhere from 6 - 10 teams playing per
league. The USTA has gone downhill over the years and what you are providing
is not worth the cost of a membership.
I got disqualified and moved up in rating. The players I beat were better than
me, but I was in better shape. I beat them because I am fit and wore them down.
Your computer rating system is terrible.
Please consider scheduling matches during weeknights instead of weekends.
Many of us with children cannot play Saturday or Sunday mornings because
most kid activities/sports are mornings on the weekends.
Our team made 6.5 states and have to play on hard courts I don't like playing a
season on clay and than have to play a tournament on hard. If the center that
has clay courts isn't available find another weekend or another site. It just isn't
right and not enjoyable at all.
The early fall ratings have caused mass confusion! Are they confirmed or a
projection? how can someone move up after winning one game the whole
season and someone else be moved down after winning 4 games ?? It is not
logical
I'm so grateful that there is a USTA league where I can continue to play
competitive tennis throughout my adult life. Thank you!!
It would be helpful if all regulations were the same throughout tennis as Tri city
have different rules to USTA it can be very confusing
I really dislike the super tiebreak for the third set, it has almost ruined the game
for me. I lived in Atlanta for 16 years and they still play a third set there. I love
tennis so much that it is almost a reason for me to move back.
We need to return to 18 and over or 50 and over. There are too many seasons
and not enough time to play a season. I will not continue to pay to join a team
for 5-6 weeks and play twice. In addition, we often end up with only 2-3 teams in
each division - which is ridiculous. People are all complaining and we are
starting to plan our own leagues to avoid all the useless fees to the USTA
Florida tennis players 55 and older should play district, area, state, and national
tournaments on clay courts and not have to adjust to hard courts after the
regular season is completed.
The problem with the USTA in the Florida Section,, Indian River, Martin, and St.
Lucie County areas is that the local league coordinator does not listen to what
the USTA members in the area want to do with their leagues and instead of
working with them runs it with a her way or the highway mentality.
I am senior 60 years old with many aches & pains. I was just bumped up to 5.0
level which in my area South Florida has no league. I can not compete with 5.0
players under 50 years old. Therefore my USTA tennis career is over. If you
have any suggestion how I can continue to play let me know. But I doubt this
feedback will ever be read. Kent Weiss 561-305-3033
It is unfair that you do not have a 75+ group play. I am 77 and rated at 3.5
required to always play with younger players. My rating should be 3.0 to be fair.
My local 5.0 men's league only had 3 teams. Two in Orlando and one in
Gainesville (2 hours away).Why can't at least 2 of the teams go to sectionals
and play against teams from other parts of the state? Same thing happened in
our 10.0 combo mixed league, except there were only 2 teams in the league.
Some discretion is necessary in situations when there are very few teams. I'm
just trying to get some exercise and have some fun, but the USTA is
discouraging me from participating with all of these strict rules.
Local league coordinators are not the best. Fair balance is not a priority.
Way too many leagues, and your rating system is a JOKE
Very happy that usta exist especially for the kids and every body in general
I prefer to play a fall, spring and summer league. (Longer seasons). It is hard to
get teams together with different ages and levels for all the different types of
teams. I liked 18 and 50 and over for age groups.
Captains make the league and it's a lot of work. Recognize captains more so
other might want to do it.
YOU KEEP RAISING YOUR RATES AND DON'T JUSTIFY THE INCREASE.
Add a division for 70 and over. This could be a combo of 4.0/4.5 or 3.5/4.0 etc.
Your rules decisions as of late have been all over the place. Especially the
national player rule. I honestly do not believe you look at these rules before you
introduce them. you want everyone to be competitive and have fun and when
we are successful you punish us for getting better or winning. it doesn't make
sense. Having said that I have had a great time and been quite successful at
sectionals and nationals and am looking forward to going back to both once
again this year
The splitting up of leagues 18plus and 40 plus has ruined my USTA experience
I don't like the age groupings. It leaves a lot of people with no team. especially
the age grouping between 60-65.
It would be nice if a player could register as a sub for a league team and not
have to pay full price, but be limited to playing only a fraction of the total
matches. I'd like to be a sub for a team, but don't to pay full price as I may not
even play any matches. thanks.
We need a National Championship for combo, perhaps like tri level offers!
The earlier format of USTA leagues were much better. 18 and over, 40 and
Over, 50 and Over. It is too much. There is not time to finish one league in time.
It is pain for captains. I am captaining since almost over 8 yrs and now almost
ready to give up. I hope we can go back to old format. thanks a lot.
Tennis ball manufacturers should state clearly if the balls are designed for hard
or clay courts.
need your phone number on home page
lower the league fees back down to $18. there is no reason to bump it up to $25
Your rating system is uncomprehensible and illogical.
Love tennis Rating system moves people way to much players can win all
matches and does not mean they are playing out of rating
The USTA website is very difficult to navigate. Finding sectional tournament
information is very difficult. The management tool could be more user friendly.
Balls have low quality, even buying USOpen. It is too over priced.
In your question about changing the format for the leagues you didn't have any
options for more than 2 singles. Why not have 3 singles?
Please be clearer in your level rankings. There seems to be little rhyme nor
reason for some players' rankings: e.g., players ranked as 3.0 when they clearly
are high level 3.5 players.
I would like more advanced notice on league start dates.
League season is too short. 6 matches before playoffs is ridiculous.
Florida has increased league entry fees to $25 from $18. this way too high for
what you get.
That new rule which applies to players that has had participate on nationals is
unfair. if you move up then you should start clean for the next season.
Otherwise, it makes it hard to find a new team.
My favorite format is Mens 40+ 4.5 league because they now allow 5.0 players
in, but they have to play at # 1 position. I like the mixed levels because it allows
higher level matches occasionally, makes room for higher quality players, and
lessens the occasional team that tries to hide ringers.
Make the job of being a captain easier. Someone needs to fix your programs. It
is especially difficult to tell team members how to register. It is complicated to
print up score sheets. It is not easy to record a score. One must be a computer
genius in addition to being a tennis player. My step-son could give you a
user-friendly, efficient program.
More emails that display standings, people getting bumped to higher levels,
teams advancing to next round, etc.
tennis balls and a cup of coffee should be the same price. I don't drink coffee at
starbucks!
The usta doesn't really seem to understand amateur team competition. They
need to have a look at other amateur team sports. Also, Larry Jaden is a huge
impediment in Jacksonville. He gives the USTA a bad reputation.
I hate that USTA in Florida in Lee County only plays in the evenings or on
weekends. At the 4.0 and above level it's difficult enough to see the ball without
the sun setting. Also after just this one season of playing USTA I got moved up
to 4.5 even though I'm turning 62 in October. I was a benchmark 4.0 player for
many years when I played out of Hilton head Island South Carolina and in
Columbia Maryland. I hadn't played USTA in a number of years because of the
evening play.
I have been playing for about 65 years and in the adult league for about 34 and
still I am very competitive, however I found too much cheating, not only for the
players but also league coordinators. The self rating system is a disaster since I
have seen many players that have national ranking or local one under rating
themselves or capitans bringing ringers with the lack of action of league
coordinators when a complaint has been issued. I have seen so many times
rules been bent. I have played in district matches and around the same result. If
I pay a membership fee and registration to play league tennis I expect respect of
rules. Now I play with a very competitive group the best tennis possible without
league problems and we enjoy our game 4 times a week. Also I help a group of
persons to learn tennis and we have fun and a lot of exercise. Sincerely I am not
interested in USTA and their leagues. After more than 30 years the experience
has been a bitter one and I have found a better way to enjoy tennis and believe
me, I am not the only one thinking in this way since I have discussed this issue
with many players with skill levels from 3.5 to 5 and they feel in the sane way.
Self-raters need to go! I would prefer to have players new to USTA be rated by a
neutral professional.
Parity would be nice. It seems the more the USTA tries to regulate the leagues
the more the status quo remains. The same teams poach the same players or
sandbag them year after year . It would be nice if there was a more level playing
field.
I have missed out on getting on a team this year (earlier in the year) because of
poor communication. I'm not sure how to improve that for local teams, but I've
gone through our local coordinator as well as the facility where I play to find
teams.
More leagues. Too many restrictive leagues with age or mixed skill.
The Norcal website is way better than Tennislink.
When I competed in the 4.0 18+ Sectional Championshops in St Pete there was
a player from the South Miami Dade Womens team that was clearly not a
4.0..though she somehow had a computer rating (Her Early Start Rating is
5.0!!). This should not have been allowed to happen and changed the outcome
of the tournament, as there were multiple 3-2 matches.
Find a better way to discover the players playing a lower NTPR that the actual
level.
they have all of sudden raise people to 4.5 when they are really a 4.0 player, so
thats means that they (Players) will be left out to play 4.5. different level. so you
have basilly screwed them.
Team Management tools are good, except the line-up, once published, should
not re-send to the team every day. I got lots of complaints about that. Also the
link did not work until the player logged on, then clicked on the link again. Most
of my players quit even trying to use the link.
There is something wrong with the way ratings are being currently established. I
have friends who were college players when they put age in it automatically
made them 3.5 players. So bad because it has discouraged them from even
playing. Having the pro rate players is still the best way to go.
I'd like to be playing on a USTA team now but my combo team (from last year)
had a full roster so I'm currently not on a team. Is there a place on the website
that I can put my name in for a team looking for players?
Not happy with changing the age breaks for leagues from 50 to 55. Lost a lot of
players for leagues. Our club alone lost 4 team and people are very
disenfranchised with USTA. Trying to do too much so that there are always
leagues going on. Need to better plan league play.
Thank you for asking about the number of singles courts. It is really hard to get
enough folks willing to play singles especially in the 40 and over league.
Extremely disappointed again this year in our local playoffs with the early ratings
affecting our roster. If they were a 4.0 in the Fall League and then bumped to
4.5 for year end - they still should be able to play for the Fall Roster should that
be a wining roster fo r playoffs.
do not have 40 and over or any seniors have to play district or sectional playoffs
on hard courts and 18 and over on clay courts in fact anyone 40 and especially
55 and older SHOULD NEVER PLAY ON HARD COURTS and never in
nationals . Hard courts are terrible for your body even young ones!!!!
Wish the USTA was more about the players and their needs. Experience with
some of the USTA staff has been enough to make me want to quit league play.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to convey this message.
More transparency in ratings. Different ratings for doubles and singles.
Knowledge of what is needed to advance.
Self rating by club pros certainly needs improvement. I know players will get
weeded out if they advance to the sectionals but more honesty is needed.
I am disappointed in the combo league started in fall over the 3 doubles and 2
single league. We were unable to field a team in Tampa night league. In fact,
there were no teams formed at night in the 7.5 combo league. We use to have
at least 6 teams. I wish they would go back to the 3 doubles and two single 3.5
league.
Yes, I STRONGLY recommend that when you reach the Sectional
Championships you should play full 3rd sets (with a tiebreak) if needed for 18
and over. The 3rd set tiebreaker model is a "toss up" and the 18 and over teams
should have the ability to play full 3rd sets. You could employ the 3rd tiebreaker
for the 40 and over teams.
Rating of players from 4.0 to 4.5 over 70 years old which then doesn't allow
them to play like they did before because of league availablility
Nobody can explain what it takes to move up in ratings. It would be nice to know
why some people move up and others don't.
the last question i am guessing. i buy by the case
I went down from 3.5 to 3.0 so now I do not have a team.
fall league is very disorganized. we have our 1st match 9-20 saturday & we
finally got the league schedule from USTA on Wed 9-17. Very sad that USTA
could not get it together until the 9th inning. not impressed at all.
There are now too many leagues 18+ and 40+, for the most part it is the same
core group that plays. Most of the clubs, including mine, now just pick one
league to concentrate our efforts. Also, it is very difficult to find singles players,
so I like the format of one singles position.
I'm a local league coordinator.
need more social media , and new people clinics
It is frustrating for our Over 65 Team to win at Sectionals and then have to wait
over a year to play at Nationals. Good grief - we could be dead by then!!!
I love the staff people at Florida sectionals. Great organizers, umpires, sport first
aid in Daytona. Thanks!
Our leagues are so small that we just play the same teams over and over again.
The same team always wins. Rules need to effect the teams that always win need to break up so the matches are more competitive.
Wish the Spring league for 3.5 play was on another day. It is currently on
Thursdays, a day that is not conducive for my schedule.
I wish that I could achieve a 3.5 rating but I was told that because of my age it
will not change.
The higher level rated players in my area have no teams to join or play against.
People who are 45 and older do not like playing on hard courts that includes
sectionals in our area because our clay-court facility cannot always
accommodate us as higher level players. It would be nice if you can have your
rating lowered more than once because under current rules it doesn't allow me
to play on any teams in my area because we don't have enough people Who
want to play
I believe the best way to get true competitive tennis in USTA is to weight the
lines. Although we might all be rated 3.0 players, some players are true 3.0 and
others are closer to 3.4. When teams put weaker players on the top lines so
they could win the match by winning the lower lines with their stronger players,
then the truly stronger team did not win the match. This has happened often
every season.
Please eliminate playoffs that make league standings meaningless.
The structure of early ratings and starting the season so quickly afterwards is so
stressful for players and captains, shouldn't it be earlier? I also participated on 2
new teams that did not do well , as is expected for players newly playing
together and I was moved down. I will be hesitant to join newly formed teams in
the future to increase playing time due to the negative consequences.
NO THIRD SET (USE THE 10 POINT TIE BREAKER) DURING DAY
MATCHES IN THE SUMMER AND FALL
Keeping the format the same year after year would be helpful. Two sets and a
tie breaker for the third is what I enjoy the most. Publishing the rules of tennis on
the tennislink web site so that specific rules can be looked up using key words
would be nice to have.
I feel it w The computer system of rating players does not take into account
senior verses open play. I was rated up to 4.5 because the 55 and over senior
team I played on in Florida advanced to sectionals. Now I can't play on my open
4.0 team in Ohio this Fall. I am definitely not good enough to play on the open
4.5 team and we don't have a 4.5 senior team. If you have any suggestions
please call me 740-248-2265. Thanks Coleen Wells
I feel that at age 65, players should be able to choose to play at the 4.0 level.. I
loose most of my 4.5 matches and I never get to play against people my own
age which can be demoralizing. There are no 65 and over, or even 50 and over
leagues in Sarasota, FL for women.
How do you find out about the management tool? Not on your website. You
have the secret dynamic ratings during the season. We never get updates.
I am unhappy that there are no longer 3.5 teams that aren't broken up by age. It
worked better the old way.
Would like to see more local USTA events for seniors.
Last year I did not have the opportunity to play enough at my teams and did not
have a partner for doubles. That made my early fall rating to go down. If you
only play 2 matches during a season they should not count for the rating...
No singles matches in the over 4o league. Few people plays singles= at this
level
League fee to high for Seniors especially since you don't have a National event.
I buy by the case.
Unfair rating system players not rated correct. Knee replacement Achilles ankle
repair and 60 years old just now got moved to 4.0 how was I supposed to
compete with younger 4.5 players. National level 4.5 is really 5.5 just unfair
playing levels
finding it hard to know who the local usta coordinator is in north palm beach
county, banners are up at the courts but no name or tryouts are posted for any
usta team
I am fairly new to playing tennis. I didn't get a pro to rate me and the people I hit
with thought I was comparable to them which was 3.0. I was beating all my
opponents in singles pretty handily and people on my team worried that I might
get disqualified by the computer. It caused a lot of stress for my captain and I.
The fact that we are allowed to self rate is silly if the computer can decide to DQ
us. I think everyone should have to be pro rated so this is avoided or the
computer should not be able to self rate for first time players.
Glad there finally is a Nationals for 65'ers. Those of us who live on the east
coast would appreciate it very much if the 65 nationals would be one year on the
west side of this great country then the next on the east side. With many
65+tennis players retired and on a fixed income it would only be fair to allow
nationals to fluctuate between the two coasts.
I would like to have 70+ age groups locally.
Loved this year's US Open web site. Best ever!!
i do not think that players should be allowed to play on 2 teams even if one is
out of area for benefit of advancing past sectional..this season we were affected
by 2 players deciding to play sectional championship on a competing team after
the season ended.
Lical awards received should be equal to the number of paid participants on the
team. It should not be limited to 12.
I only pay 4+ dollars a can when in a crunch, but I would pay it if need be.
I checked on the survey that I had an Android phone - the questions continued
about Iphones. Last year I asked about an Android app, USTA said it was in the
works. Get with it USTA! I would like to see more local teams participate in
USTA league. We usually only have 2 teams per division. More competition
would be exciting. Don't like the one weekend for all 40+ mixed doubles
sectionals!!! Many of us play in several divisions (7.0, 8.0 and 9.0) but having all
playoffs in one weekend limits your local team play. Please change that. This is
one of the most popular leagues in our area. When playing in sectionals - I
prefer receiving the long sleeve T's instead of the short sleeve.
We have one season only and not two as we have had in the past. Really does
not keep my interest in cintinuing
The Combo league was fun and competitive. I would like to see USTA
regulations followed in this league even though it is considered a "fun, summer
league". There is a section championship involved and I believe that my team
was at a disadvantage because the "move up/split up" rule was ignored for the
winning team in my division. I called the coordinator's attention to it before play
began and she said that the Combo league was 'just for fun' and all USTA rules
didn't apply. I still believe that I should have asked for a ruling from a state
coordinator; my team did not have a fair chance to play against players who
should have been DQ'd because they had been to a National Championship on
the previous year. I mention this now so that this situation could be avoided in
future competitions. Gina Hale/6.5 (50+) Combo/Pace Island, Florida
i dont have a cell phone and your survey assumes everyone has one also i play
in more than one kind of place in my leagues - a public park and a private park
Good exercise. Escape from other issues during the year. Occupies my mind for
the time I am playing and allows at least 2 hours of escape from life's
challenges.
I started mid-season and was just starting league play after a good break from it.
I was very disappointed that our opposing team was around 20-30 minutes late
for the match and didn't care. Maybe that's Florida, but it wouldn't fly in Atlanta. I
like the USTA system. The other sectional state leagues fall back on USTA rules
for guidelines. So I strongly believe the USTA should uphold its standards and
regulations for any match play- any age, any level.
You really need to implement "sand bagging" rules like Atlanta Lawn Tennis
Association. Lack of these rules ruin the league for most people and make the
USTA rating system a joke.
The search on the USTA site for leagues beer works. It doesn't find league in
the area I know exist. I could only find a league in my area by word of mouth.
Please fix.
Changing the format by bifurcating the 40+ and 18+ and removal of the regular
league play in the Fall [to combo] was disappointing. No one I have spoken to
really wanted it and it really leaves Singles players to their own devices. The
alliance between USTA and Ultimate is good but I can never find the promo
code to sign up. Thanks, Dyan Pithers 3.5 Tampa
I did not really like the schedule in 2014 compared to 2013. People under 40
didn't have a team to play on until mid May and many of us with kids who play in
the 18 and over league had a difficult time with scheduling, since the men's and
women's leagues went into July, when many of us take our kids out of town on
vacation for the summer. This meant we could only play in a few matches. I
believe this is up to our local league coordinator, so not sure if there is anything
USTA can do about it.
I played USTA in VA at Springfield Co. Club and also Middle Atlantic
tournaments around 40 yrs ago. My name then was Ann Dodd.
Thank you!
Site is confusing to access exactly What you want. Too many paths- needs to
Be more direct. Many links seem to be circuitous.
Make it easier to find USTA clubs to play at, take lessons, clinics, when you are
on vacation, visiting, traveling. VERY hard to find tennis when away from home.
WHY???
Keep up with the good work
Would love to see more singles league.
The biggest issue with league play is the player rating system. Mostly that better
players are rated to low and the not so good players seemed to get bumped up
to a higher rating. And when they do their league win/loses don't seem to
support the rating change.
I was beyond angered and frustrated about my experience this season. My team
made it to the regionals in Daytona after barely making it... Winning by 1 point
above the next team down. We worked so hard to get there. Then, my
teammates and I had to coordinate our schedules, our families schedules to go
away for the weekend to sectionals. Kids, husbands, activities... No easy feat.
We had to pay hotel rooms, food, transportation - all worth it to compete. After 2
days of playing, we made it to the finals. Again, no easy feat. At 8pm the night
before the finals which started at 8am the next day, one of our girls gets flagged
and disqualified. A girl who didn't win all here matches 6-0, but even went to 3rd
sets. She was self rated because it was her first season. By disqualifying her
and her matches, it forced us out of the finals, ruining 7 other girls chances to
play. Not only should she not have been disqualified the night before, we should
not have been punished as well. What a ridiculous system In place! To
disqualify her 12 hours before?!? If the league were going to do it, it should have
been done BEFORE we came to Daytona. There was a girl who had a better
record 13-0, smashing all her competition, but not disqualified because she was
computer rated. Insane!! I am so disappointed in this system and will probably
not play again. I will also warn all my friends on the two other leagues I play in
about these ridiculous policies and processes.
Non-competitive went both ways in our area; teams that were extremely weak
and teams that were extremely strong with little or nothing in the middle. This
summer there were only 3-4 teams per league in my area, as well, decreasing
the competitiveness.
players are under-rated this causes lack of competiveness when someone
playing for 20+ years is still a 3.0 vs a new player at 3.0
I have played USTA on and off for the past thirty years in New Jersey and in
Florida. I find your rating system arbitrary and bogus. You move people's ratings
with no reason. I am a 3.5 player demoted to 3.0. I have played matches against
4.0's who were rated 3.5. I always swear I will never play USTA again. I get
much more out of our traveling tennis teams that play other clubs and are much
more competitive.
You lowered me 3.50 to 3.0 and I had no negative things to do so. I am going to
call and find out why.
I totally enjoy my league experience.
ratings. My rating dropped this year, if I had know when I played adult league
4.O that was the only thing that was used in the rating calculation. Nothing was
taken into account for mixed and combo. I don't understand why ALL play is not
factored in. Also why is their no nationals for 55+? and why in Florida does the
55+ have to play in the heat of the summer. Why are there no mixed for 60+,
65+ 70+ etc. Seems like very little is offered for us aging seniors. Thank you for
you time
So far I am very pleased with the communications to me from the USTA. I enjoy
participating on the USTA 3.0 Team and I have no suggestions at this time for
any improvements or changes. Thank You.
I'm a little disappointed in that unless you "know" people you can't join a team. It
gets discouraging when you really want to play. I sent notifications that I want to
join a league but no response or opportunity to join. :-(
Splitting the adult leagues with an 18 and over and a 40 and over division has
made it quite confusing and challenging in our area. I know this would work well
in other areas and help the competitiveness at Sectionals but it is frustrating for
us.
Ntrp ratings seem to be a sham. Too many sandbaggers!
Locally, there are a few captains who bend the rules, who bully other captains
and make league play unenjoyable. Seems as if league coordinators are
unplugged and don't want to step in and enforce rules.
I am so upset that I cannot play in a day league due to the age requirements.
My early rating went from a 3.5 to 4.0. There is no day league of 18+4.0 in my
area. With young children at home it is too difficult, therefore no gun, for me to
play at night... It seems very unfair that women over forty have two days leagues
to play in if they are a 3.5 and one league if they are 4.0...i have to wait two yrs
to play again during the day... This is all because my rating moved up... If I had
known this I would've rather lost more matches so I would have the chance to
play this season... Makes me very, very upset
I work days, my club has no over 40 teams, I don't win at all. One match in 2
years. I should be lower rated, but my club has no team for that.
I just wish the USTA website was easier to navigate for league information
Broward County League Coordinator Maria Miro is the WORST!!!! No support,
no cooperation whatsoever and is very conceided and impossible to deal with (
she has her teams and captqins that she adores and likes dealing with ) the rest
are by themselves…
Mixed Doubles Leagues should play at one level. It makes some matches very
uncomfortable and unfair. It's a bad practice and it should be changed,
especially bad at the older levels.
Your computer ratings are really bad, I know team players that are ranked 4.5
that are really 4.0 and players rated 3.5 that are really 4.0. YOU SHOULD FIX
THIS INMEDIATELY, since the 4.5 players can not play because in reality they
are 4.0 and can not compete in the 4.5 leagues. thank you
Local league rules are not clear and seem to be in conflict with section rules.
There needs to be a penalty for total team defaults. I will not be a captain again
until this happens and the local league coordinators enforce the rules. I see
good players choosing not to play usta for some of these reasons.
Order of strength in lineups is not always followed. Unclear how/when players
move up or down in rankings. Desire to win seems to drive decision-making
about line-up
Ratings should be evaluated at the end of the season not the beginning as most
players start off rough especially with new team mates - then play well at the
end of the season only to be brought down a level. Not easy for our age bracket
as there are not any 40 and over so we have to play 18 and over.
Verification of rating will mean more even competition.
I would like to see the seasons for league play to be longer. Leagues are too
short. I would also like to see the leagues be on the same day of the week.
Am happy to see that some strong 65+ players get moved up this year. I think
you need to move up despite one's age.
Your increase of the team rate to $25.00 is outrageous. I might have been ok
with $20.00 but a $7.00 increase in one season???
We only had 10 matches last two seasons. The seasons need to be longer
because playoffs are too far off from regular season. Better time options for
women.
I am disappointed in the rating system. I have had partners that we have played
the same matches in a season and they have moved up and I have not. I also
understand that once you reach 65 your rating will not change.
I'M very disappointed in the 40% league sign-up increases that you have
impose. I used to join multiple teams and now I'm thinking of completely
withdrawing my support for the USTA.
I would like to see lets playable. It would speed up to game.
I think adding the 40+ league has created too many leagues causing congestion
and overlap with the combo league making it difficult to compile competitive
teams.
you ask the question "How can we Your choice of answers does not include
more or less regulations but does not include better. That is the question you
should be asking.
Playing USTA is costly after you add all the charges for membership, team
registration fees and court fees. I play a lot of tennis without USTA.
Breaking the league between 18+ and 40+ resulted in our city league of NOT
having a playoff. Only the top team goes to Sectionals. Early in the season,
teams lost interest when they know they don't have a chance at Sectionals.
Players doesn't want to play anymore. People not only play for competition but
also for a chance at a playoff spot. Playoffs make the league exciting until the
end. Not having a playoff killed that.
Sometimes it is hard to get on a team, as they are very clickish
My only complaint is that with regard to people moving up in rankings, it seems
it is heavily weighted for singles players. If you play doubles, which I do , I feel it
will be nearly impossible for me to advance, and I dearly want to. It would be
nice if we had more communication about this to let us know what types of
things we can do to advance, etc. Right now it's such a mystery.
Year after year, my biggest issue with the USTA are the self-rated
"sand-baggers" that play at all levels. These players ruin it for all the other
players who compete at their true skill level. Also, Tennislink is too 'busy', and it
needs to be simplified and made more user-friendly.
Recently heard there will be 70 plus mens league in Florida. What or who
determines different age leagues in each section.? Thank you.
Absolutely love USTA! !!!!! Met really great people from around the country and
here in florida. Need more USTA events for adults though... mixers and such.....
thanks for all the good times w alot more on the way!!!!
The team competitions allow me to have the fun and exercise I seek in tennis.
i buy by the the case
Please do not use a player's age in holding them back. (say they should be a
3.5 but they are playing 3.0 based on age only!
You raised the cost from 18 to $25 for team registration. I don't agree with that.
You also change rankings in Sept. for FL when they should be changed in Dec.
like the other divisions. It effects the fall teams that are being formed over the
summer and can negatively impact the players.
FL Section USTA could use a lot of improvement in terms of the way they run
our local leagues, which are in a rural area, in NW Florida
Combo League in the fall is not working for the 6.5 players in our Florida
section. Sad to see straightline rating league abandoned in the fall
I have been rated a 4.0 I have never won a match or a game. your rating system
is flawed.
Seems to be a lot of controversy about USTA moving people up and down. I
would like more info on how to move up. I am presently a 3.0 but have played
USTA for several years & won numerous matches.
South Florida leagues and rules are not working! The rule regarding percentage
of player levels required (how many 4.0's can be on a 4.5 team) don't work as
well at the upper levels because there are not always enough players. Also, the
roster-change rule does a disservice to everyone. No one wants to add new
people to the area on their team if a slight roster change means that team will
have to be considered as a completely new team for play-offs. Also, early-start
ratings messes everything up and therefore rosters have to change. A team can
win all sessions and still have to have a play-off because their roster may have
changed due to rating changes and bringing on a new player who moves to the
area. There should be some rule that the roster can't change by 50 or 75% or
something! It is absurd that one team can dominate 3 sessions and still have to
have a play-off and lose that one match!! Also, it would be so much better if the
leagues were longer. Winter and Spring could be combined into one long
session. Raising the price for each team to $25 from $18 when most people are
greatly dissatisfied with the current rules is an insult! Half the time, the local
league coordinator doesn't even understand the rules because the rules don't
make any sense and are not practical! This could all be simplified if someone
who cared actually listened and educated themselves on what is going on down
here AND had the authority to actually make changes. The previous local
league coordinator insists that she disagreed with the rule as well and was trying
to get it changed....that was over 3 years ago! If she/they see it is not working
down here, they should be able to do something about it! I could keep going but
I think you get the picture..... Many of my friends and teams have certainly
considered not playing USTA anymore and just playing competitively ourselves.
Daytona is not the greatest place to go to anyway....something more central in
Florida makes more sense and somewhere that is nicer with more options for
entertainment.
In local leagues (Jacksonville, Fla.), there occasionally appears to be
inconsistency with disqualification and "bumping up" of select players who are
deliberately playing with self-ratings below their true skill. Some seem to be
appropriately addressed, while some others seem to be allowed to continue to
play. This encourages some captains and players to continue to try and
compete unfairly using the "sandbagging" method.
Local USTA official needs to be retired!
There are no 40+ leagues in Jacksonville FL area.
USTA does a good job of coordination of the leagues.
You rating system for 60 and over does not level the playing field. You let
teaching pros lock in at 4.0 irrespective of their actual playing level. Not a lot of
fun playing 5.0's in a 4.0 league.
USTA seasons are now too short with all the age groups. I play local leagues
now & ends up costing less.
Many of my senior league competitors play on what I call "all-star" teams. They
have been to Nationals and have been rated up to 4.5, but always manage to
get rated back down by the time the next season starts. I am told that if you are
over 65, you can appeal and get rated back down "automatically". The same
teams win every year with the same personnel. It would seem to me that the
"move up or split rule" is not being used in the seniors. While I enjoy the
competition, it would be more competitive if these players, who get rated up,
would have to stay up for 2 years,or be distributed to other teams. This
automatic move from 4.5 to 4.0, is a disservice to all us actual 4.0's. Thank you
The biggest negative to USTA right now for me is I am one of only a few in our
area that are excluded by the 40 plus league. It leaves only about 7 possible
matches that I can play in in the 18 and over. Considering only about 4 or 5
people are excluded in the 10 or so clubs we play against I'm not quite sure
what the over 40 portion of the league is accomplishing. It really limits my ability
to play USTA leagues and I wish that wasn't the case. It just seems like the
change only leaves a few of us out and I highly doubt most of the other players
would stop playing if it just remained 18 and over for both seasons.
Your age grouping has essentially eliminated 70+ players from active
participation and my friends and I resent the discrimination and miss the
competition. We can't successfully fit in to the younger groupings. I don't see
this as "growing tennis" in America by cutting out those who have played for lots
of years and now been sidelined!
I'm tired of playing down, I'm tired of never playing enough to get rating
changed. I drive 45 minutes to play at home. Pasco county has no tennis.
If you are going to make rules, then have them followed. The biggest problem
we've had is there are rules in place but only half the people follow them and
then you are considered a bitch for enforcing the rules. The local leadership is
wishy-washy as well. so you don't get any real support for following the rules. It's
easier to play at our local club and avoid the stress of driving long distances to
play a bunch of crabby, nasty women. And the clubs that the leagues are being
played out out of, aren't nice to USTA players. They are yelling at you, about
closing times the minute you walk into the facilities. If they don't want the
leagues to play, be nice and appreciative that we are using their facilities. Not
rude and demanding that we be finished by a certain time, or at least let us
finish if we go past that time. Not all matches finish in 2 hours, most do but not
all. We aren't getting paid to play, it's supposed to be fun! And it just isn't
anymore. And there aren't many women over 40 who want to play singles so
that is a fight in getting ladies to play those 2 positions. There should be an all
doubles league, at least for the 40+ and older ladies. Keep the 18 & over in the
old format. Singles is the huge deal with teams. Our club used to have 2 teams
in both 18+ and 40+ ladies this year we won't have any. The 40+ can't field the
singles positions.
I think thay you have priced youself out of the market for what you provide. I can
play in other leagoes for a fraction of the cost, and they provide Much better
services.
Still not convinced computer rating is on target
40 and over may benefit from 2 doubles and 1 singles position. Less people are
willing to play singles as we age. At least at my club. Just a thought.
I wanted to play this fall on a combo team but locally it is difficult to get on a
team. I sent my information in but never heard anything. It seems like unless
you know a captain or current player you wont play or be asked on a team.
I wish the older age groups hadn't been dropped. It would be nice to compete as
long as you can play, with people of your own age group.
The process used to rank players using dynamic ratings is not transparent. The
dynamic ranking algorithm/ranking should be shared with each player. Players
are looking to the USTA for assessment tools and this would help measure
progression.
I've heard the fee for a team registration is going up to $25. If record numbers
are playing, it's robbery to raise the fee so much!!! Many are calling for a boycott
Getting feedback from players and captains about the recent hike in league fees
from 18 to 25 dollars per player.
Schedule more matches per session. This fall is good - 9 matches but in prior
sessions we had only 6 or 7 matches. You only get organized and started and
the season is over.
USTA should go back to a fall and spring 3.5 season, rather than running the
combo leagues. It pulls play down, rather than improving play as it was
intended. It's also difficult to get people to play in those combo leagues.
The ratings here stink! Too many people are rated incorrect or moved either up
or down when they shouldn't be. Statistics cannot replace eyes on!!!
please provide videos as a teaching tool to teach strategy for playing singles &
doubles.
The rules for former players ratings getting back into tennis is a deterrent. It use
to be many years ago a player could sit out a single season then re-rate and
that was too short. then it changed to a full year(two seasons where I play) and
that was probably also to short. Then it went to 3 years which I think is too long,
as peoples skills and conditioning rarely improve as adults. Still I could live with
it. However now you can be out of the league for 6-8-even 10 years and you
must come back as the same rating you had before, which is insane. I have a
handful of players I convinced to come back and play after many years out of
the league. Yet they refused to play because they wanted to come back at
maybe 1/2 point less, say 3.5 instead of their last rating of 4.0 but the computer
program would allow for it. So they said the heck with it. After a player has been
out of the league/tourneys for 3 years, they should be able to come back and
get the self rating they believe accurately reflects their current skill level. If the
endless rating that is now in place was designed to prevent sandbaggers, you
have gone way overboard to prevent a small amount of people that might try to
bottom feed. You are costing the league and by extension the USTA
memberships as a result. I for one am fed up with it, and might be dropping out
of the league myself after close to 24 years. I know others who are long gone
already.
I think at the 2.5 level especially, people should not be self rating. I have seen
too many people come in not having played usta league before and so ranked
2.5 but play more like 3.0 to 3.5 players. Independent rating would be much
better
I do not like the two seasons, from Jan to March and March to May. Make just
one as had been the case before and charge more for entry fee if money is your
main concern. Seasons to short and not enough matches played.
Disappointed in the way the tournament director handled the teams at the Palm
Beach playoff for the 55+ teams. I felt he was rude and unfair to some of the
teams and it made a difference in the outcome. I left feeling like I would not like
to give my money to the USTA for leagues anymore.
I really wish you'd make a rule where captains have to play players evenly.
When that happens I'll be back. I hate paying USTA Membership and League
fees and the captain won't play me.
I didn't care for the short season with the 55+ Mixed league. I don't care for the
overlapping of seasons. It was too complicated. I am a regular captain and was
disappointed with the age divisions because I am 60 and I have friends who are
under 50 that could not join my team. I love tennis and want to be able to play
with my friends even though they are 10+ younger than me.
I'm done with USTA. The cost has become prohibitive for both league fees &
NTRP weekend tournament entry fees. There are enough other less costly
tennis events available. Less costly both economically & time wasting. Thx &
goodbye. Earl S Claypool 919676353.
1. The change in ages for league play has decresed the number of teams that
clubs can form. 2. The 75% rule for number of lower ranked players that can
play up has also made it hard to fill a team.
I would like to make all the matches 2 out of 3 complete sets. Eliminate third set
tiebreaker and make it a regular set.
lack of league oversite has lead to unbalanced teams, many filled with more
competetive players from other locals, and little room for local players to
compete in the league.
Florida does not follow the the national rules they have told us in sectional
meetings that two ewe are a test market ??? Example senior league they will
not allow one player of higher ranking on team so it really is not a 9.0 or 8.0
league in seniors also when usta changed the age divisions it took a lot of
players out of league play most 50 to 54 year olds are not interested in playing
40 year olds so those players are just not doing usta any more I do understand
that it is a volunteer job and commitment however there should be a year
limitation for league coordinators
I started playing tennis six years ago, I played in mens douobles as a 3.5. Lost
all matched, was moved up to a 4.0. Played again, lostall matches. Tried to get
re-rated, denied. I'll will drop out of the USTA because of this, as the matched
I'm forced to play in are not competitive.
I DO NOT PLAN TO PLAY NEXT YEAR. I AM 78 IN DEC. AND ALWAYS
PLAYING AGAINST YOUNGER PLAYERS AND LOSING. I AM OVER-RATED
AT 3.5. SHOULD BE A 3.0. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THIS REVIEWED???
The rule requiring the team that overrules its own incorrect line call to forfeit the
point regardless of what happened in the play should be changed back to the
original rule. Players should be encouraged to overrule themselves by allowing
a point still in play to be replayed as was originally the case. This promotes the
honor system which has always been the heart of competitive club tennis. Also,
a person to person system of evaluating a player's rating should be reinstituted.
Too many players are dropping out of USTA play because of being bumped to a
level at which they can't compete. There needs to be a way to take into
consideration age, medical conditions and other factors outside the player's
control.
In tennis link when you put in the match # on the home page and print the
scorecard it comes out very small. When you go into record a score and then
print the scorecard it is the perfect size. It should be the same size on the home
page. For those sections that have an early start, do away with the identical
roster rule so that the winner of the Fall and Winter season automatically goes
to sectional. Pertains to Florida section.
USTA is making lots of money from the leagues which are to short and costly.
Again, USTA is making lots and lots of money off our shorten league time.
The USTA has a new rule that specifies 65+ players cannot have a rating
increase unless they appeal. As a result in Florida, we have many 4.5 players
playing in a 4.0 league. Go back to the old rule to improve the league and make
it fair!
The age groupings and % limitations for rankings hurt our league play. We don't
have enough players at the various ages and rankings to have enough teams.
Instead of 5-6 teams in each league, now we have 3 at best most times.
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