What is USA League Tennis?
USA League Tennis is team tennis. There are both Men's and Women's Leagues in Adult, Senior and Super Senior Divisions, as well as Mixed Doubles Leagues. Adult and Mixed Doubles Leagues are open to players
who are USTA members
(nonmembers
may join)
over 18 years of age. Senior and Super Senior Leagues are for players who will have reached the ages of 50 and 60, respectively, by the end of the calendar year.
In 2003, over 17,000 players participated in USA Leagues in the USTA/Middle States Section. One reason for the appeal of USA League tennis is that leagues are organized to consist of players of roughly the same level of ability. Each league is restricted to players at or below a specified level according to the
National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP). Adult and Senior Leagues can be organized at NTRP levels of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0. Mixed Doubles and Super Senior Leagues are available at NTRP levels of 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, with eligibility measured by the sum of the NTRP ratings of the two players on each doubles court.
New players rate themselves according to the NTRP scale when registering for league play. Once a player is in the USA League Dynamic NTRP system, computer ratings are generated by match results. Players rated by the computer as above the level of their league are restricted to playing at the higher level the following season. In rare cases, players clearly above level are subject to disqualification during the league season.
An Adult League team match at levels 3.0 through 4.5 consists of two singles matches and three doubles matches. 2.5 and 5.0 Adult League team matches consist of one singles match and two doubles matches. Senior, Super Senior and Mixed Doubles team matches consist of three doubles matches. Since no player may play in more than one individual match per team match, a minimum of eight players is required for an Adult League team, except at the 2.5 and 5.0 levels where a minimum of five players is required. A minimum of six players is required for a Senior, Super Senior or Mixed Doubles League Team. Teams can be organized by clubs, public parks or any group of individuals desiring to form a team. Both club and non-club teams often compete in the same league.
Although USA Leagues can be organized to play at any time, the league season for Adult, Senior and Super Senior Leagues generally begins in April, May or June and continues into July. Most Adult and Senior Leagues in the Allegheny Mountain District play their matches on week-ends. Beginning in late July, the winning teams in each league compete in District and Sectional Championships and have the opportunity to advance to National Championships held by the USTA in locations such as Palm Springs, California and Tucson, Arizona. Mixed Doubles Leagues generally play in the Fall and Winter. Winning teams can advance to Sectional and Regional Championships held in June.
How
Much Does it Cost?
The cost for playing in USA Leagues is $17 for current USTA
members. USTA membership is $35 per year which includes a complementary subscription to
Tennis Magazine
and discounts on US Open tickets and merchandise. Other costs may include purchase of team shirts or team coaching with
a pro.
Who
Can form a Team?
Clubs,
public parks, other organizations or any group of individuals can start a team.
Recommended numbers of players depend on how dependable your players are.
In general, captains carry 12-14 players on adult teams and 10 on a senior team.
How do I get started?
If you would like to form a USA League team or to join an existing League team, or if you would like more information about USA League tennis, please contact
the Allegheny Mountain District
League Coordinator for your NTRP level.
Contacting a League Coordinator
In order to play USA League Tennis,
you must first either find a vacancy on an existing team or form a team
yourself.
To find a team, contact the league
coordinator appropriate to your skill level (NTRP rating), sex and age.
Alternatively, you could find a
captain of an existing team who has a spot for you on his or her roster.
You can do this through the coordinator or through a notice posted on
this Web page (eg. see below) or in News from
Tennis in the Burgh. Just send an e-mail to john@pghtennis.com
indicating what type of team you wish to join.
Remember, it is part of the
coordinator's job to find teams for players.
To form a team, you must also start
with the coordinator because only the coordinator can assign your team a
number and get you registered in TennisLink. Until that happens, there's
no way for you to register new players and add them to your team's
roster. The league coordinator can also help you find players for your
team. You can also post a notice on this Web page or in News from Tennis in the Burgh. Just
send an e-mail to john@pghtennis.com
indicating what type of team you are forming.
How Rating
Works
The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) is the official system for determining the levels of competition for the USTA League Program.
In 2003, all USTA sections will implement Dynamic
NTRP. Dynamic NTRP will allow for ease of entry and ease of administration while maintaining the integrity of USA League Tennis, but without the requirements of current National NTRP Verification Procedures (visual verification).
The use of a dynamic rating system is predicated on having the ability to get the match results into the national database quickly and easily with the help of team captains to report scores. The USTA’s automated data management system,
TennisLink, integrates the national database and the NTRP program to provide a seamless flow of information.
New players enter USA Leagues by rating themselves using the
established NTRP rating characteristics, The NTRP characteristics have not changed. Many of you should be able to self-rate accurately…do you play with league players who currently have computer ratings. Knowing their ratings, where would you place yourself?
TennisLink will provide a self-rating declaration box for new players at the time of registration.
New players will begin to generate a dynamic NTRP rating after their first match against a player who has an NTRP computer rating.
If you’re a returning USA League Tennis player you will begin your league season with your current NTRP computer rating. If you received your computer rating before the 2001 league year, you may self-rate to enter the program. Computer ratings will stay in the system for 5 years starting with the 2001 computer rating.
In an effort to avoid disqualification when players are rating themselves and they question which level they should play, they should place themselves in the higher level of play.
When rating yourself assume you are playing against a player of the same gender and the same ability.
Dyamic NTRP ratings will be run by the computer to determine if any players are “clearly above level” using the current Disqualification Procedure Guidelines. Players will be disqualified if they achieve the currently established “clearly above level” status three times based on all matches reported in the national database for Adult and Senior Divisions. This includes all match play in Adult and Senior divisions in all sections. Remember, you must reach this disqualification level three times during the championship league year in order to be disqualified.
The Ten Commandments of a
Team Captain
Thou shalt know the "Rules of Tennis" and the "Code."
Thou shalt be organized.
Thou shalt discuss major decisions to be made with team members.
Thou shalt set a good example of sportsmanship for thy team members.
Thou shalt have weekly discussions with each player on thy team.
Thou shalt create an atmosphere of team unity and spirit.
Thou shalt praise thy players, whether in victory or defeat.
Thou shalt not coach; leave that to the team's professional.
Thou shalt not criticize team members in front of teammates, but shall save criticisms for private discussion.
Thou shalt not covet other team members.
Source
Resources
for USA League Players
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