I hope I'm not passing along rumor, but the information looks official enough that I'll pass the information along and comment on it. If this turns out to not be true, I'll post back here with foot firmly planted in mouth.
I just read on the Tennis Warehouse Talk Tennis forum that NOVA, or more specifically the Home Court Tennis Leagues that runs the leagues in NOVA, is not going to participate in the USTA's 18 & over leagues this year. A number of reasons are cited including politics, costs, and micro-management, the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back being recent drama of the schedule for the 18 & over league. Here is the link.
There is certainly a lot of league/team tennis played around the country that is not done under the purview of the USTA, ALTA is probably the largest example but most every part of the country has some sort of local league play, so this isn't earth shattering in that regard, but the Mid-Atlantic Section and NOVA specifically is one of the largest participants in USTA Leagues so if this happens and sticks and extends to all USTA play in NOVA, it will be significant.
Now, it will be interesting to see what happens, both if this move away from USTA is for real or if some other organization, or perhaps the USTA itself, steps in to run the leagues in NOVA. I will continue to follow and post updates as I hear about them.
Are other areas of the country unhappy with the USTA? If so why? Is there a growing demand for team/league tennis played separate from the USTA?
One aspect of USTA play that is attractive to some is the idea that it all funnels into a National Championship. If a local league can't offer that, is that a big deal or will you play in the local league anyway?
I'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me directly.
Personally, I have pretty much no issues with the USTA because they provide an incredibly organized league to play in. I tried one doubles league, when it was left to the players to make a schedule, and that was truly a pain. Other leagues don't provide the ability to truly keep levels of ability at an equal level. It is hard to imagine any league "taking over" as court time is already an issue in the Pacific Northwest section. I doubt enough clubs would bend enough to satisfy a new league. The National Championship is something to look forward to, however I already have issues with that as well. Whether it was prize money, or incredible trophies, I am just looking for organization. My only gripes with the USTA is the lack of uniform rules applying to all sections. The three strike rule applies differently to other sections, leaving them at an advantage come time for Nationals. I would also create the simple rule of no one is eligible for playoffs until they have 10 Usta sanctioned matches(tourneys or Leagues) under their belt. At that time their self rating becomes a regular computer rating with the adjustment of their rating coming after the tenth match is played. This creates a much more uniform sectionals and Nationals Championships. My other thought is simply the more matches offered the better a player becomes, so maybe more leagues would be better. As always thank you for all you do on this blog!!!!
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