What A Beautiful Day To Be Alive And To Be A Tennis Official

What a beautiful day to be alive and able to officiate tennis matches! I woke up this morning and there had been a little rain but the sun was shining through... Made me think of all the good things we have here in Texas. Here are a few:

* We have the most officials of any section in the USA.
* We have the best and most qualified officials to be found anywhere.
* We have the highest quality ITA tennis anywhere in the land.
* We have the best ITA coaches in America.
* We have some fantastic coordinators in our big cities and some great people serving in the smaller areas.
* We can stay at home in Texas and have everything we want.

In order to fully enjoy all our blessings, I am taking my two children (Brady on the left, and Phoebe on the right) to the lake today so they can chase ducks and swim all they want...

And since we live in Texas where everything is bigger and better--just imagine what it would be like to bbq on something like this!

And To Think I Was Born In 1947!

One of the joys of blogging is that you get a lot of interesting information from all around the world. This little tidbit came from an unimpeachable source to the west of Dallas and to the east of Abilene:

The year is 1947.

Some of you will recall that on July 8, 1947, a little over 60 years ago, witnesses claim that an unidentified flying object (UFO) with five aliens aboard crashed onto a sheep and mule ranch just outside Roswell, New Mexico . This is a well known incident that many say has long been covered up by the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies and organizations.

However, what you may NOT know is that in the month of April 1948, nine months after that historic day, the following people were born:

Albert A. Gore, Jr.
Hillary Rodham
John F. Kerry
William J. Clinton
Howard Dean
Nancy Pelosi
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Schumer
Barbara Boxer

See what happens when aliens breed with sheep and jackasses?

I certainly hope this bit of information clears up a lot ofthings for you. It did for me.

No wonder they support the bill to help illegal aliens!

Now You Know.

And now I am wishing I wasn't born in 1947...

And Some People Thought He Wasn't Human

And to think some people would say our new President wasn't human... But alas, the object of his attention was only 16! Shades of Bill Clinton.

Perhaps his time would have been better spent in checking out what his own daughter was wearing before she left the house.

Or maybe even checking out the new handbag that Michelle was sporting--and it only cost $6,000.

Suggestions For Texas Officiating

I've always been told that "something doesn't have to be broken to make it better" and I think that holds true in TEXAS OFFICIATING.

I think Texas officials are the very best to be found anywhere on the planet earth--and I think our Texas Section organization is the best there is--but there's always room for improvement. We only get better but continually looking for ways to improve. Here are some of my suggestions (and we would welcome yours):

MORE CERTIFICATION SCHOOLS

In Texas, the certification schools are now only offered in January and February and that isn't feasible for a lot of people around the state. (San Antonio does offer their school in March but they usually only have 15-20 people in attendance). In order for some people to go to school they have to go to another city and spend a ton of money to be certified.

It would be very simple to add additional schools in major metropolitan areas and a small fee could be charged so it would cost the Texas Section nothing. I would recommend additional schools during the summer and early fall in Austin, Dallas, Waco, and Houston.

AN UPDATED AND RELEVANT WEBSITE

A well informed organization is always that functions more efficiently--and we sadly, are not well informed in Texas. As of today (7-9-09), the home news section of the Texas Section website has nothing but an archive you can access. Upon going into the archive, the last article even printed was 12-08. Surely we can find more to write about than last years' news.

AN UPDATED AND RELEVANT NEWSLETTER

The USTA has finally come out with a newsletter but surely we could be doing one in Texas. A good newsletter doesn't take long to produce and would be a great help to our new officials as well as keeping us up to date on what's happening. As of today, the last newsletter posted on the Texas Section website is summer 2008. Surely we can do better...

MORE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL COORDINATORS

Since certification schools are only offered in January and February, there is a big gap of training and teaching during the rest of the year. Because of this need, the local coordinators in our major cities have done a FANTASTIC job of filling the void.

If an official takes the provisional test in March, that means they are wandering around officiating with no training until the following January. Surely we can do a better job...

In DFW, the Metroplex Tennis Officials Association requires additional schooling (4 hours) and shadowing (two 6 hour shifts) for all new officials. Congratulations to Cathy Kennan and her crew for doing such a fine job!

Houston also does a fine job in this area. Let's be sure to support our local coordinators for all the fine work they are doing.

These are just a few recommendations. We would welcome any of your constructive thoughts.

A New Can of Worms: Wimbledon Pay Scale

As you know, one of the joys of blogging is getting to open up a new can of worms from time to time... Here is the big one for today: the pay scale at Wimbledon.

We would love to hear your comments as to the equity or lack of equity in the pay scale. Here are the pay scales:

2009 Wimbledon Pay (In Pounds)

Singles winner: 850,000 Singles Runner Up: 425,000

Doubles winner: 230,000 Doubles Runner Up: 115,000

Mixed Doubles winner: 92,000 Mixed Doubles Runner Up: 46,000

Things to consider:

1. Amount of time on the court.

2. Quality of play and level of competition.

3. Effort given by the players.

Things not to consider:

1. How old Billie Jean King is and how much she sacrificed for women's tennis.

2. How obnoxious Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were during their playing days.

3. How much more a sports bra weighs than unliners for the men.

We will welcome any and all comments...

I'm Proud To Be An American--Wimbledon 2009

Even though he lost in the finals to Roger Federer, Andy Roddick made us all proud to be Americans! Unlike Connors and McEnroe, Roddick behaved like a gentlemen and probably played the match of his life. Congratulations to a fine young man...

Roger Federer

2009 Men's Singles Champion

Its hard to find words to describe the greatest tennis player in history but Roger truly is fantastic! He now has 15 Grand Slam singles titles and I'm sure there are more to come. Thanks to Roger for letting us all share in his life.

Serena Williams

2009 Women's Singles Champion

The Queen of women's tennis--and she's an American! As always Serena displayed power, poise, and class in her 2009 tournament. Congratulations to a great champion and we're looking forward to much more to come.

Serena & Venus Williams

2009 Women's Doubles Champions

Bob & Mike Bryan
2009 Men's Doubles Runners Up

4th of July--And Why We Can Celebrate

As we celebrate the freedoms of July 4th we all need to remember the sacrifices that were (and are being) paid by our young men.

We do indeed live in the greatest nation on earth!

An Answer To Prayer

One of the things I love and appreciate most about being a tennis official is that we are all part of a big "family" and included in that relationship are a lot of good and loving friends. There are also times that our family members go through some difficult times and it is during those times that we learn to pray for each other and support each other...

One of our past Texas Section Presidents, Marcia Rodriguez, has been struggling with cancer and cancer treatments for the past few years--but this week she got some good news and an answer to a lot of prayers. Here is Marcia's email to me:

"Hi! ...we just got back from London......I found a clinical trial over there on a new drug that helps locate tumors.....I got accepted into the trial so Mike and I flew over on the 17th....for a quickee few days in London. THEY FOUND THE PRIMARY TUMOR!!...so I have an appointment today with a surgeon at UTSW to talk about options to remove it asap! Its a long shot.....since the cancer has been racing thru my lymph system...but if they remove the primary source.....my prognosis will be MUCH IMPROVED....!!"

Now that's the kind of email that I like to get!! Marcia has been a dear friend for many years so I hope you will join me in praying for her complete healing...

A Flicker of Hope

DISCRIMINATION is a word and practice that causes all Americans with a moral and ethical conscience to recoil--and rightly so. However, it is still regularly practiced in many areas of our lives.

In the tennis world there still exists a huge amount of discrimination--and it is discrimination that is directed toward white men over 50. The gays, lesbians and transgendered have their advocates, the minorities have their advocates, the women have their advocates, but alas, there are seemingly no advocates for white men over 50. Just take a glance at the US Open and see what positions are filled by white men over 50 and that will prove our point.

Today our news was filled with a monumental decision by the Supreme Court. Here is the AP account:

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.
New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.

Hopefully the USTA will take note...

Are Foreign Players The Answers To A Successful Collegiate Program?

Anyone who officiates in the ITA world knows that teams are heavily weighted with foreign players. There are pros and cons to this issue but we might want to consider all aspects of this issue. Here are some points to provoke your thoughts:

* Foreign players tend to be stronger and better.
* Foreign players take up scholarships that could be used by Americans.
* Foreign players have more difficulty becoming and staying eligible to play.

Those are some basic facts, but here are some more aesthetic considerations:

* Which players tend to behave better?
* Does a program have to have foreign players to win?
* Is it fair to American players to have so many foreign players on teams?
* Should there be a limit on foreign players on a team?
* Should there be limits on the amount of professional events played by ITA players?

Personally, I enjoy meeting, watching, and officiating foreign players but the same can be said about Americans. Even though people say we need to be fair and equal, I'm not so sure that is the case in collegiate tennis. I believe there should be a limit on foreign players on a team since coaches are obviously not going to impose any limits. After all, we live in America and provide a free education to the foreign players. Maybe we should give a little more consideration to our "home grown" products...

We would welcome your comments.

First Annual TENNIS OFFICIALS BASH

First Annual
TENNIS OFFICIALS BASH (Tennis & BBQ)

Since summertime is officially here and everyone always enjoys tennis and bbq, we will be hosting the first annual TENNIS OFFICIALS BASH. Tennis officials from anywhere are invited but you must be a certified tennis official, know one, or want to be one... Basically, you are all invited!

Here is the information:

Date: June 28, 2009.

Time: 5:30 p.m. for tennis at Collin College, Plano, Texas.

7:00 p.m. for bbq at 1912 Copper Creek Drive, Plano, 75075

Cost: Nothing. We will be asking people to bring various items.

Menu: bbq (hot dogs and hamburgers), beer, soft drinks, and margaritas!

This special event is an RSVP EVENT so please respond if you want to come.

Randy McDonald

214 796 7402

rmtennis@yahoo.com

This should be a great evening of food, fun, and lots of friendship. If you can, be sure to come and join us!!!

Jesus Has Come To The Tennis Courts!

SCENARIO

In a recent juniors tennis match in Texas a fine young man lost the point and immediately dropped his racket, raised his hands in the air, and said, "The Lord Jesus Christ is my personal Saviour."

WHAT ARE WE TO THINK?

We are presented with numerous options, but here are a few:

1. That he actually does love Jesus and hopes that He lends a helping hand in his match.

2. That Jesus actually does care about what goes on in a tennis match.

3. That we hope the USTA diversity forces aren't there. If they were, they would want him coded for being insensitive to other religions.

HOW WOULD YOU RULE?

Again you are faced with numerous schools of thought, but here are but a few choices you might consider:

1. Praise Jesus with him and be thankful that God got through to at least one junior tennis player.

2. Run to the center of the court and lead the spectators in a verse of Amazing Grace.

3. Move to the center of the court and immediately take an offering.

Personally, I lean toward option #3.

How would you rule????

COMMUNICATION: The Key To Success

Anyone who is successful in nearly any area of life will tell you that COMMUNICATION is one of the keys to success--and I think that is especially true in the tennis officiating world...

In order for us to train and enlist officials, we must learn to communicate. In order to keep and nurture our current officials, we must learn to communicate. In order to develop a sense of "family" among our tennis officials, we must learn to communicate. But alas, we seem to be falling down in this vital area...

I checked the Texas Section webpage this morning and under "Officials" I found that our "home news" section has not been updated since last December and the last newsletter posted was Summer 2008. Folks, if we want to be successful we need to improve in our COMMUNICATION.

The Texas Section Officials Committee is composed of the finest and most talented officials we have in Texas. They are primarily the coordinators in each area and people who have the skills and know-how to communicate. Now we just need to turn them loose...

Personally, I think a blog is a great tool for communication because it lends itself to instant communication. One of the drawbacks is that it also allows for anonymous postings which can sometimes get out of control. Newsletters are another good source of communication but are somewhat outdated in today's technology.

Two of the most current tools of communication are FACEBOOK and TWITTER. Read the post below and come and join our group on Facebook--we'd love to start up a good group.

TWITTER is the newest rage out there and really a lot of fun. I joined (randymcdonald77) and have found a bunch of officials and tennis coaches out there in Twitterland. Come and join us if you would like to... Just go to www.twitter.com and follow the instructions.

I believe everyone's goal should be to make us the best officials we can become and we can never achieve that goal without good COMMUNICATION.

Hop on board and let's have a great time communicating with each other...

Facebook For Tennis Officials

Since we all want to be on the cutting edge of technology, we are starting up a new group for TENNIS OFFICIALS on Facebook. It should be great fun! Remember, you will have to sign in with your real name so be prepared.

Just look up my name (Randy McDonald) on Facebook and then join our group.

I think it will be a great avenue for sharing and keeping in touch!!!

Thought For The Day: Be Nice To Old People

As we look forward to the weekend I just wanted to pass a thought along to you. Let's all do all we can to be nice to OLD PEOPLE...

Remember--it won't be long before we are there with them!

(Hopefully these two have retired from officiating.)

The Cure For Inept Officiating (Part 2)

As you can read from the previous post, there is a lot of interest and differing opinions about what to do with inept officials. This is an age old problem and one that won't be solved quickly--but I tend to think that we need to make more progress than we are currently making.

One of the dilemas you face is that you don't want to hurt someone's feelings--and that's an admirable attribute but probably one that will get you in trouble in the long run. A few years ago I had an official that had been banned by a college coach from ever doing his matches again and I tried to keep from hurting her feelings by telling her that we had to make some "adjustments in the schedule" instead of telling her that she had been banned. I guess in my desire to protect her feelings I thought she would appreciate me and my efforts--but that didn't work! Instead she blamed me personally and went on a vicious and verbal crusade around the state saying I had deliberately removed her from matches. Finally, I listened to the advice of an older and wiser official and told her the unvarnished truth--she was fired because she sucked! She still bad mouths me whenever she can but at least she knows the truth...

The other issue that confronts us in today's world is the threat of a lawsuit. The USTA is certainly no stranger to lawsuits so referees and sections tend to be wary when the issue of firing or removing an official comes along. A few years ago in our infamous ad hoc committee meeting (at Bruce Sampley's house) we were trying to remove a certain instructor who was obviously inept and unuseable but basically we backed off the issue because we were afraid of a lawsuit. When it comes to this issue, I guess sometimes retreat is the better part of valor--even though it makes me carsick!

I think the things recommended in the previous post will work but I agree with those who have written in that the BEST METHOD is DO NOT HIRE THEM AGAIN. There is a corporate responsibility for the Texas Section Chairman and the local coordinator but the main responsibility lies with the referee who hires them. If they don't have assignments they will eventually figure it out.

Now the real question arises--what do you do when the inept official is the referee????

Just a little food for thought.

What Is The Cure For Inept Officiating???

What to do about inept officials is an age old question--and one about which I am not sure there is a pat answer. Those in authority have ruminated about this issue for years and have struggled to find cures that actually work; but alas, I think they may be to no avail.

We have all seen ineptness in officiating and it is always relevant. Sometimes it is uneventful and without cost but sometimes it is devastating and has huge consequences. In order to deal with this issue, I would suggest the following:

1. Teach and train until we are blue in the face. We already do this a lot but we're not home yet. More can and should be done...

2. Individualize training when possible. The best way for an official to learn is to see it done and observe it personally. This is not always feasible but we should at least strive for perfection.

3. Get the Texas Section to sponsor more training events.

4. Identify those officials who are habitually inept and enroll them in specialized training (required). This will have to be done on the local level but it can and should happen. The local organizations need to take the lead in this area.

5. Put offending officials on probation or remove them if they refuse training.

6. Just as there are penalties for offending parents, there should be penalties for inept officials. We are now at the stage where we are paid a good wage for our work and they should get a good product for their money.

7. Do all we can do to enlist new members. This won't cure the problem but at least we will have a new crop of officials to choose from...

These are just a few suggestions. I would welcome hearing any comments you might like to make...

Analysis of Tennis Parents

Since the majority of a tennis officials' time is spent in grass roots tournaments, that also means that a majority of their time is spent in interaction with players--AND THEIR PARENTS!

We all have horror stories to tell about abusive and intrusive parents but as a whole, I would say the vast majority of parents are law-abiding citizens who simply enjoy tennis and having a child who plays in tournaments. HOWEVER--there are always a few strange apples in the barrel.

Here are some brief observations about tennis parents:

* Most parents love tennis and love watching their children play tennis.
* Some parents are overprotective and always feel their child is being cheated, abused, or otherwise slighted whenever they are losing.
* Some parents try to "make friends" with roving officials and then try to use this to their advantage.
* Some parents actually cheat and coach their children when they are playing. Its a reality that we have to learn to cope with...
* Some parents actually do get into verbal and/or physical altercations with other parents. Sometimes this even extends to whatever official is close by...
* Many kids are embarassed by their parents and their behavior.

GUIDELINES ON DEALING WITH PARENTS

* Always be fair and consistent in your officiating. Do not single out one child for all of your attention.

* Do not be confrontational in your dealings with children and/or their parents.

* Do not tolerate abusive behavior by parents or children. There are specific steps in the FAC to deal with this issue.

* Feel free to use a "wise caution" in dealing with children. Sometimes a simple caution will save a battle...

* Be sure to report abusive behavior to the proper authorities.

* Encourage the parents and children to enjoy tennis. After all--this is only a game!

Psychological Study of Tennis Officials

For the past two years I have had a good psychologist friend of mine conduct a study of tennis officials. He has observed officials roving, chairing, and in simple personal interaction and here are some of his observations:

Type A Male Officials

* Tend to take leadership roles both on and off the court.

* Strong willed and usually make quick and accurate decisions.

* Do not tolerate a great deal of conflict from coaches, players, and spectators.

* Can be overly aggressive if confronted.

* Do extremely well in men's ITA chaired matches.

* Usually tend to see issues in black and white and leave little room for error and/or discussion.

* Tend to garner respect from players simply by their actions and behavior on the court.

* If experienced, they are well versed in the rules of tennis.

* Tend to gravitate toward other alpha-males in their personal relationships.

Type B Male Officials

* Tend to be very non-confrontational.

* Normally a follower instead of a leader.

* Pays meticulous attention to detail.

* Can be overly officious if faced with verbal conflict or confrontation.

* May also retreat into a shell if confronted personally.

* Tend to do better roving than in chairs.

* Very strong team players.

* Strong loyalty to other officials.

* Has a tendency to worry more about a player's intent than their actions.

* Tends to retreat quickly when confronted by coaches and players.

Type A Female Officials

* Tend to be very verbal, opinionated, and agressive in their personal styles.

* Usually have played tennis at a high level in their personal lives.

* Frequently have issues with those in authority over them.

* Strong personal presence but usually have a weak self image.

* Function well as referees but not as umpires.

* Tend to be overly officious on a regular basis.

* Very selective in their friendships within the officiating ranks.

* Strong presence in the chair but becomes officious and aggressive when confronted or questioned.

* Tends to try to become the alpha male in a group setting. Frequently tries to be in charge of everything. Responds negatively when under the authority of an alpha-male official.

* Loyal to their friends even to a fault.

* Reponds quickly and usually negatively when their authority is questioned.

Type B Female Official

* Weakest of all personality types among officials.

* Tends to be very submissive in personal dealings.

* Very seldom an actual tennis player in their private lives.

* Weak personal skills and extremely weak leadership skills.

* Very seldom make a good chair official.

* Easily offended and dominated by stronger officials.

* Usually a person with high personal integrity.

* If married, normally married to an alpha-male.

* Strong knowledge of rules but weak in application.

* Tends to be very emotional and unstable.

FEDERER: Pehaps The Greatest Ever!

Sometimes we have the privilege in life of being around someone who is called the "greatest" in some sport--and that is truly our privilege today with Roger Federer...

Roger won his 14th Grand Slam Singles title (tying Pete Sampras) with his victory today at the French Open.

Just imagine how many more Grand Slam singles titles are within his reach. And we get to witness part of history being made...

Thanks Roger for letting us share in your special moment.

Crybabies In Tennis...

I just finished watching the women's final of the French Open--and listening to John McEnroe (the world's greatest crybaby) and Mary Carillo edify Dinara Safina for her whining and crying on the court. Instead of praising Svetlana for a great final and for being the fantastic player that she is, they praised Dinara for "coming through her stress and anger and tears." What a pathetic commentary... I notice that Dinara never seems to have a problem with her tears and stress when she is winning.

Perhaps in this case we should just consider who was doing the commentating and forget it...

Qualities of A Good ITA Chair Official

Since we have hundreds of officials around the country, I would like to hear your comments about what makes for a quality ITA chair official.

Please be sure to send in your comments...

June 6, 2009: As of today, we have received some of the finest comments we have ever received. I think it shows we have a lot of well qualified and informed officials who are delivering a good product to those who employ us. Keep up the good work--and keep the comments coming...

Gender & Division Diverse View of Coaches

In my original posting about ITA coaches I only listed the men's programs--lest I be considered gender and program biased, I am adding some of our fine women's coaches as well as some Division III and Junior College coaches.

They are all a fine lot indeed...

Marty Berryman

Collin College (Plano, Texas)

Sally Brown
Howard Payne University

Jeff Hammond

Texas Christian University

Bobby Kleinecke
Texas A&M University

Sujay Lama

University of North Texas

Younes Liman

University of Texas at Arlington

Lauren Meisner

Southern Methodist University

John Peterson

Tyler Junior College

Joey Scrivano

Baylor University

Oliver Trittenwein
University of Texas at San Antonio

Shane Williford

Hardin-Simmons University

Brian Whitt

University of Texas at Dallas

Coaches--Friend, Foe, or Necessary Part of Life?

One of the greatest attributes and necessities in an ITA match is the collegiate coach--and we all have opinions and feelings about each of them--just as they do about us... Personally, I think our officials in Texas and the Big 12 are the finest in the country and certainly appreciate all they bring to the game of tennis and to our lives as officials.

Each of us can share a multitude of stories about encounters and experiences with different coaches--and they range from hilarious to amazing. We would welcome some of your favorite stories about our coaches!

Listed below are some of the coaches in Texas the Big 12. OU is currently without a coach so we would also welcome your comments about the identity of their next coach...

Once again, thanks to all our coaches for the fine job they do and for the role they play in our officiating lives.

Diego Benitez

Univeristy of Texas at Arlington

Dave Borelli
Texas Christian University

Michael Center

University of Texas

Steve Denton

Texas A&M University

Matt Knoll

Baylor University

Carl Neufeld

Southern Methodist University

James Wadley

Oklahoma State University

University of Oklahoma

???????

Gender Biased or Just Plain Sexist?

Sonia Sotomayor

Supreme Court Nominee

Interesting quote from Sonia Sotomayor: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Hopefully the "gender police" or the "diversity patrol" won't read that. It would disqualify her from being on the Executive Committee (hopefully).

What's even scarier is her statement that the Supreme Court is where you "make policy." But then we shouldn't be too surprised in the Texas Section since policy is made by a very small and select ad hoc committee rather than the Texas Section Officials Committee.

Just a little food for thought...

The Joys And Pitfalls of Evaluating

One of the most feared, dreaded, and necessary events in the life of an official is EVALUATION TIME. This is the time in which a seasoned and trained official observes a newer official to evaluate and give advice for his/her improvement. Its not all bad and is a requirement if you ever want to advance in pro tennis or go to the US Open.

Evaluations are not a requirement to do grass roots tennis or ITA tennis but evaluations do take a more subtle form at these levels. All officials are evaluated by their referees and correctly so. At this level, if you fail your evaluations you probably won't be working any longer.

I did notice that Bruce Avery and Joe Buys were busy evaluating officials at the NCAA tournament. Bruce and Joe are two of the finest evaluators we have so I'm sure the officials got some great input.

Now, we would like to hear your evaluations of the NCAA officials. I know that many of you were there so I think it would be good to see how we would evaluate those from around the country.

Here are some things I noted at the NCAA tournament:

1. The chair officials looked very sharp and were very astute in their chair basics.
2. The chair officials seemed to be very quick with their overrules.
3. The chair officials were extremely slow in posting the scores on the electronic scoreboards. Nearly without exception, they would mark their cards, say the score, and then finally update the electronic scoreboard.
4. The NCAA officials seemed to spend an inordinate time worrying about crowd behavior and standing and staring menacingly into the crowds. I thought this was interesting when I observed nary an incident in the crowds while I was at the tournament.
5. The NCAA officials seemed to walk out to the chairs too often and seemingly to ask if they needed a drink of water or for a social visit. I saw no chair official encounter any problem that would necessitate a visit from the referee.
6. The NCAA officials seemed to delight in walking pompously through the crowds and whispering to other officials as if they held some state secret. This kind of behavior surely doesn't foster trust among the crowd people.

These are just a few observations I had. We would love to hear your evaluations...

And Then There Were None...

The Baylor women's doubles team lost in the semi-finals yesterday so there are no Big 12 representatives in today's finals.

Hope you enjoy them anyway...

Congratulations to all of the individual Big 12 players and SMU doubles team for their fine showing this year and to the UT, Baylor, and A&M teams for making the team tournament. We are proud of you!

And Then There Was One

After the quarter final round at the NCAA's today there is only ONE Big 12 representative left in the tournament--and that is the Baylor women's doubles team of Borsanyi and Broosova.

Good luck tomorrow ladies! We hope you bring an NCAA Doubles Championship trophy home to Waco...

Big 12 & SMU Players Still Winning At The NCAA's

The honor of the Big 12 Conference is still being upheld at the NCAA Championships--but just barely. Conor Pollock (Texas A&M) is still in the singles and doubles (with Austin Kraijecek) and Carvalho and Rojmar (Texas Tech) are still alive in the men's doubles.

There are no Big 12 women left in the singles draw but Borsanyi and Broosova (Baylor University) are still competing in the doubles.

Good luck to all our Big 12 representatives!

The Mustangs of SMU (and Conference USA) are not to be outdone with the ladies doubles team of Lesniak and Malyarschikova still winning in the doubles draw. Congratulations to the Lady Mustangs on a job well done!

Could There Be An Anti-Baylor Bias At The NCAA's?

There is no doubt in any valid tennis player's mind that Baylor University plays the finest tennis in the Big 12 and some of the finest in the entire nation. For those of us who officiate, we usually find the Baylor players to be fine young men and women and the coaches some of the best. The only complaint we tend to hear is that the Baylor crowd (and one young man in particular) are over the edge but that too is up for debate.

Since Baylor is without a doubt one of the premier ITA programs in America do you think it is possible that there is an anti-Baylor bias being shown in the NCAA this year? Consider the following:

* Baylor men were in the top 10 yet were sent to Tulsa for their regional instead of hosting in Waco. Don't get sidetracked with this ridiculous argument about travel for the #4 team in the regional because that is disproved on every hand.

* The NCAA officials regularly watch for the Baylor boy, Kendall, when he comes into the tennis facility in College Station. Seems that when Kendall wears regular clothes and cheers (just as long and loudly) for UCLA, nothing is done but the moment that he dons a Baylor shirt, he is escorted out of the facility by the security guards. I personally overheard one of the top NCAA officials bragging to a set of officials how he had seen to it that Kendall was quickly removed from the facility. An official bragging about removing someone kind of negates the reason for his removal--and I would have serious reservations about those reasons. Those of us who serve as referees in the Big 12 deal with Kendall on a regular basis and seem to have no problems controlling his behavior.

* One of the NCAA officials publicly chastised the Baylor women's team for cheering too loudly when they were at midcourt for the deciding match in their dual. I'm not sure its possible for a women's team to cheer too loudly--and especially after watching the Duke and Georgia women cheer in their semi-final match.

* An assistant coach for a Big 12 university recently led a cheer (in his coaching uniform) during their match with Baylor in which they chanted to "send the Nazis back to Germany." This event is so incredulous that it is nearly beyond belief but it is indeed a fact and did happen--with no punitive actions being taken against the school and/or coach.

These are just a few events that cause us to wonder... Not saying that there is an anti-Baylor bias but there is food for thought.

And The Wheels Came Off At The NCAA's

"And the wheels came falling off" is an age old expression and one that came true yesterday for the Big 12 players at the NCAA tennis tournament.

All of Baylor's players (men and women) lost in the first round as well as all two of A&M's men players. As of today (5-22-09), Conor Pollock is still in the main draw--and we wish him luck!

Such is a day in the life of the NCAA tournament but a sad one indeed for the Big 12 representatives.

To Cheer Or Not To Cheer--That Is The Question...

"To cheer or not to cheer" seems to be one of the prevading questions in ITA tennis these days. Its a question that we wrestle with during the school year and then this year it has become quite an issue at the national tournaments.

At the Men's Junior College National Tournament in Plano this past week, the teams and fans were encouraged to yell and support their team as loudly as they wanted. As referee, I felt that it was a wise decision and one that would increase the excitement and interest in our tournament--and it proved to do exactly that! On the last night of our tournament we had four doubles teams playing at the same time (with a chair official on each court) and the fans were louder than I have ever heard but very respectful of the opposing teams and fans. When we were through, one coach said to me, "this is the most fun I have ever had in a college tournament."

If we choose to stifle the excitement what we will basically do is tear the heart right out of collegiate tennis. It is time that we all wake up to the fact that college kids and fans are there to have a good time and support their team with all their hearts--and we as officials are not self-appointed guardians of "silence." The last thing I would like to see in collegiate tennis is a Wimbledon-like atmosphere. (If we do, you can be sure that the young people will stay at home.)

One of the arguments used for stifling crowds is that they will get out of control. Crowd control is the responsibility of the home institution and every university I have ever seen does a great job in monitoring their crowds. I have been to collegiate campuses throughout America and I have never yet seen a crowd so out of control that a wise security team can't handle them.

It does seem strange to me that the crowds are regularly being stifled at the NCAA tournament this week in College Station--but when the tournament is held at the University of Georgia there is virtually no crowd control and people come from everywhere to "bark" at the players and nothing is done.

My simple idea is this: let them cheer as loudly and as long as they want.

2009 NCAA Team Tournament

Congratulations to the University of Texas Men's Tennis team for going all the way to the semi-finals. They lost a hard fought match to USC but the entire team and coaching staff can be proud of a job well done.

Baylor University had both a men's and a women's team in the quarter finals this year. Congratulations to both teams and their coaches.

The Aggies' men's tennis team made it to the NCAA tournament this year but fell to the #2 seeded Mississippi team. Congrats to the Ags on a great year.

The Big 12 Conference can certainly be proud of their representatives this year.

2009 National Men's Junior College Tennis Tournament

The 2009 Men's National Junior College Tournament concluded today and it was a rousing success. In spite of a lot of rain delays, there was a lot of great tennis played and a lot of good officiating dispensed...

To get the week started there was a time of bonding and preparation for our own Myron Krueger (Ft. Worth) and Sara Lammerts (College Station).


A group of weather weary officials prepare to load up for a trip to North Park Mall.

Target was another location on our agenda...

Crew Chief, Lee Ann Bain (Austin), gets some advice from Myron Krueger (Ft. Worth), Gary Tolbert (Dallas), and Vickie Wright (Austin.)

Tournament referee, Randy McDonald (Plano), gets modeling advice from Lee Ann Bain (Austin.)

Roz Tuerk (Commerce) gets things kicked off after a rain delay.

Cathy Kennan (Grapevine) gets a little hug before her singles final.

Kevin Holmes (Mesquite) prepares to officiate the men's final match.

Kevin Holmes in action with his men's final participants.

Gary Tolbert (DeSoto) studiously prepares for his chair match.

As usual, Myron, Vickie, and Tom are found around the food table!

Vickie Wright (Austin) finally springs into action for her singles final.

Tom Wright (Austin) faithfully awaits the arrival of his players.

2009 Chair Academy

The 2009 Chair Academy is now history--and it was one of the best we have ever had! Shown above is a group picture of this year's participants.

What a crew of instructors! Pictured above is Bruce Avery, Brookie Green, Marc Archuleta, Cheryl Jones, and Joe Buys. Thanks guys for doing such a great job...

A special shot of Brookie Green and Cheryl Jones modeling Brookie's new red shoes!

The infamous trio of Brookie Green, Marc Archuleta, and Cheryl Jones.

Scott Humphrey and Roger Mills from Austin led a great contingent of our new officials.

Definitions

Since we live in a society filled with lawsuits and many rabid accusations, I would like your input on what certain terms actually mean. Sometimes a formal definition is not the same as reality and I would sure welcome a discussion on these topics. These are very specific to the tennis world so let's be specific in our definitions. I will try to publish all comments I receive in regard to these definitions:

GENDER DIVERSE
GENDER NEUTRAL

Perhaps if we better understand these terms we can better function in our tennis officiating world with all our new guidelines.

Understanding The Nature of A Blog

BLOG: A frequently updated personal journal chronicling links, events, and opinions at a web site intended for public viewing.

Since we now live in a new age of communication one of our greatest tools is the BLOG. As we move along this road of advancing technology, we need to keep some simple guidelines in mind...

* A blog belongs to the owner and he/she is free to express any opinion they desire. Whether you agree or disagree is your choice and you can expand upon that premise by choosing to read or not read the blog.

* There is a huge difference between the blog post and comments. The author of the blog does not write the comments and is free to publish whichever comments they choose to publish. In our case, we do not publish comments that are obscene or personal attacks.

* A blog is a great communication tool and should be used by all contemporary organizations. Noone should be afraid of a blog--they don't bite!

* A blog normally posts the opinions of the author. No need to get upset about it, that's the basic nature of a blog. Most blog authors know how to write and the boundaries of their writings. There are some totally crazy blogs out there on the internet but we will avoid them at all costs.

* Sometimes a blog author will post something to stimulate conversation. They may or may not be his personal views but are published to read different viewpoints. No need to hyperventilate here, just enjoy the discussion.

* Our blog is intended specifically for tennis officials and we try to publish posts that are of interest or deal with issues confronting officials. From time to time, we might deviate with a little political humor but I try to keep it at a minimum.

Hopefully these guidelines will help people understand what a blog is all about. Seems that lately I have been accused of things that are very untrue. When questioned about these accusations, I find that people are equating me with comments that are posted on my blog. Trust me, if it comes from me it will be in my blog posting. I am not afraid to stand up for what I have written...

I have found over the years that if a blog questions people or policies that are in authority, sometimes there is a negative reaction. That's fine with me. If you can't stand the heat, don't stay in the kitchen!

Overall, having a blog is one of the greatest joys in my life. I meet people everywhere who read the blog. They may or may not agree but at least we're all talking and enjoying something together.

Since you are here and reading this, welcome aboard for the journey... It should be a good one!

2009 Men's National Junior College Tournament Begins on May 11th

The 2009 Men's National Junior College Tennis Tournament begins on Monday, May 11, in Plano, Texas. The event is hosted by Collin College and features the top junior college players from throughout America. This year's team favorite is Laredo Junior College from Laredo, Texas.

A special highlight of the tournament is that they also host the 2009 Chair Academy. The trainees will be chairing ITA collegiate matches on Monday and Tuesday of the tournament so it is a great opportunity for on the job training.

More pictures and stories will be forthcoming as we get closer to the beginning of the tournament.