Goodbye To 2010 And Welcome To 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our blogging friends.

People celebrate the new year in a lot of different ways...

New Year's Day will be filled with lots and lots of football. Special good wishes to TCU in their Rose Bowl appearance...

Some choose to bring in the new year on a beach--and pay their own way.

While others vacation in Hawaii and cost the taxpayers over $2 million in doing it.

2010 came in like the year of the tiger...

But went out like a lamb (or in this case, a pig).

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

2010: A Year That Sailed Along Until The Background Checks

The USTA turned the officiating world upside down with the new requirement for criminal background checks.

DIVERSITY reigned supreme in 2010!

New doubles combinations were sighted in 2010.

Some chose creative ways of celebrating.

While others used props in their celebrations.

Deciding where to put the ball was a big issue...

Some just gave up and cut them in half.

Strategic placement of rackets came to the forefront in 2010.

Sometimes a tad more dangerous than others...

And hopefully this is the last we'll ever see of Serena's outfit pictured below!

Final Word (Hopefully) On The Background Checks

With all the confusion and delays in the background certification process we are finally getting some clearcut answers from on high.

Here is Julio Echavarria's response about those who are not certified by December 31st:

If a prospect has not passed the background check they won't be allowed into Nucula and given a certification until they do. All prospects will need to pass that check but we don't have a time limit. The backgroundcheck website will continue to function throughout the year.

People awaiting their background check results will be able to go to the class but their scores will not be recorded until they are in the Nucula system. In the case of a 2 day class like the Schools taught by National T/E's they would be allowed on the Sunday class intended for beginners. They still will need to complete the check and Provisional Test.

That way we can get them started with a class while we await the check.

When Is It Too Cold To Play?

Winter is here--let the tournaments begin! Or is it too cold to play??

Some just want to play and it doesn't matter how cold it is...

And some just want their Mother there to keep them warm.

All of have heard of or experienced horror stories when it comes to officiating in the cold--but the question remains, when is it too cold to play...

In Texas, I don't think its ever too cold to play--at least according to USTA tournaments. ITA has rules about the cold but the coaches can ignore them. A couple of years ago we did a men's and a women's dual match at UTA when it was 13 degrees!

Personally, I get cold at 50 but I would welcome your thoughts and comments as to whether there should be some written guidelines about playing in cold weather.

And Sometimes Its Just Lots of Fun!

Perhaps their celebration was a bit over the edge...

Nadal in one of his lighter moments...

Head over heels in joy...

Novak does love to celebrate!

A slightly different viewpoint.

Sometimes Sad & Painful--But Its Still Tennis

Nadal comforting his teammate during a difficult moment.

Wonder who this is? Perhaps he needs a course in facing defeat.

Ginepri dealing with difficulties.

Another approach to "dealing with it."

Hope his Mother wasn't watching.

A pain that only a man can understand.

Only in a man's world.

The Clock Is Ticking--And The Frustrations Continue To Grow

The clock is still ticking for you to get your BACKGROUND CHECK done by December 31, 2010. If you don't have it done, you'll be excluded from Nucula and de-certified. You'll have to go through the whole process again if you want to work and be certified in 2011. You also have to have passed (by 12-31-10) if you want to attend an officials school in 2011.

BUT...

The frustrations grow and grow! We receive numerous emails from people who are being delayed, having to send in additional information, and simply being ignored.

How can this be if we have thousands of officials who have to have passed the background checks by December 31st?

Let's keep plodding along and hope it gets done--THIS WEEK!!!

Remember--you can check out who has passed the background checks by clicking on the link at the top right of the blog.

Christmas Family Time Around America

And a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Got to get the house fixed before Mama gets here...

Picture of our strange son playing in the garden...

Picture of our "college graduate" son driving to Mama's house on Christmas morning.

Hurrying to get the important things moved to another location.

And a Christmas card from our four boys.

Merry Christmas To All Our Blogging Friends

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our friends and loved ones out there in the blogosphere. I hope you have the very best Christmas you have ever had...

This has been a wonderful year and there are many reasons to be thankful at this Christmas season.

Here are some of our reasons:

* Because the Myronian survived his bicycle accident with no lasting injuries.

* Because Chase Curry (Wichita Falls tennis player) is recovering well in a Dallas hospital from his auto accident on Thanksgiving.

* We have gotten good reports on Mark Moore, the Assistant Tennis Coach at Plano West High School, in his battle against brain cancer.

* Because my Longhorns didn't get invited to a bowl game so they could lose yet again.

* That all my friends passed their background checks. In fact, I don't know of anyone who didn't pass.

* That Tom and Vickie Wright let me stay in their home and share my room with two cats.

* That our "seasoned officials" in Oklahoma might have actually become "seasoned officials."

* That I got to watch Melvin Gabel and Mike Flynn consume bbq at the County Line in Austin. A once in a lifetime experience!

And our hope and prayer for you all is that you have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a good visit from Santa...

And We Complain About The NCAA...

WAILING BANSHEE

Just when we thought the NCAA couldn't get any more inconsistent or irrational, they did...

Check out this article at:

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/23/poor-terrelle-pryor-and-ohio-state/

"The only thing missing from the news conference was a wailing banshee."

Background Check: Excuses Don't Cut It

FRUSTRATION seems to be the word that best describes the new USTA background check process. Horror stories come from all over the country--and the DEADLINE is January 1, 2011...

Some officials don't like it because they don't want "big brother" checking on us.

Some say they are tired of jumping through hoops just to please the USTA.

Some want others to give them a helping hand and do it for them.

Some say they have too many balls going at the same time.

Some say they are just too tired from Christmas shopping.

Some are just mad about the whole thing and don't want to do it.

The BOTTOM LINE is that the deadline is nearly here and if you want to officiate in 2011, then you have to get it done. Excuses don't count!