Only In Texas...

From time to time we experience some funny moments as officials--and today was one of those moments for me...

I was refereeing a women's dual match and was standing outside the court watching a new trainee doing the #1 singles when I got a text message...

The text message was from one of our good old Texas officials who was standing on the court roving two singles matches. The text simply read: this is like watching paint dry.

Now I will leave it up to your imagination to figure out who the official was...

(I thought it was an accurate statement and quite an innovative method of sending it.)

New Training Opportunities Coming In The Fall

I just wanted to make you aware of a great new training program we will be offering in the fall of 2010. New and/or inexperienced officials will be given the opportunity to chair matches for some elite high school matches in the team format.

Highland Park High School is completly redoing their tennis facility and will be able to have officials chairs for their matches. Their coach, Dan Holden, has offered to let us chair matches for training and since HP plays the highest level of team tennis in Texas, I thought this would be a great opportunity...

No need to respond yet and I will keep you informed but wanted you to be aware that we will be hosting some great training opportunities this fall. If you a certified official and want chair experience, this will be for you!

One New ITA Shirt Available

I have one men's XL green ITA shirt available for sale. Cost is $26. If anyone would like to purchase this shirt, please email me (rmtennis@yahoo.com) or call me at 214 796 7402.

The website for the ITA clothing should be up and running by March 5, 2010. I'll be sure to post the address when it is functional. Sorry for the delay but we have caught the manufacturer at the height of the busiest season.

The Height of Absurdity in ITA Tennis

After all my years of tennis officiating, I thought that I had seen it all--but I hadn't!

Yesterday the Ohio State men were to play the Baylor men in Waco at 3:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m. the temperature was 48 degrees so the Ohio State coach refused to play.

The rule says that if it is under 50 degrees and there are no indoor courts available and the courts are not hazardous, then the match should be played outdoors since it is an outdoor sport.

Well.... That's not what the Ohio State coach thought and took his players and went back home. Of course that left 7 officials sitting around with nothing to do so we headed to Ninfa's to eat salsa and chips--and had a great time doing it!

I just included a picture of the Baylor men's team at 3:00 p.m. to show you exactly what the courts looked like. "Hazardous" is the last word you would use to describe them. In fact, the Ohio State boys had been out earlier practicing on the courts--in t shirts!

The match was sent in as a "default pending appeal." The days ahead in the ITA world should prove quite interesting...

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this issue.

Here is a copy of the Ohio State response on their website:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 3 Ohio State men's tennis team's match vs. No. 12 Baylor was cancelled Wednesday because of unfavorable and cold weather conditions at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. A rescheduled date has not been determined.

According to Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rules, which can be found HERE,
"All matches shall be played outdoors unless weather or court conditions threaten the health and safety of student athletes or if contracted otherwise for winter month competition. In the event of inclement weather, a team match shall be continued indoors if varsity quality tennis facilities are available. (See II.C.1. for a definition of varsity quality tennis facility)."

a. Determining playable outdoor weather conditions
i. The projected weather forecast, for a minimum of two hours out of a four-hour time period from the start of the match, according to www.weather.com shall be:

• A high of at least 50°; or
• Sustained winds (not including wind gusts) of 20 miles per hour or less.

(Rules can be found on page 258 in the above link)

Why Do We Have So Many Going Out The Back Door?

A lot of new officials walk through the shiny new door of officiating every year.

But a whole bunch also walk out the back door...

One of the age old issues facing tennis officials is "why do we have so many officials going out the back door?" Our numbers have held fairly steady for the past few years but we have a tremendous number of new recruits every year--and a tremendous loss of officials out the back door at the same time. BTW--this is a problem facing many organizations and churches today so perhaps we should study the issue a bit more--and hopefully take measures to stop the flow...

Here are some reasons officials go out the back door:

* The weather is too hot or cold and they didn't think they would have to work that much.

* Someone offended them.

* They don't like the color of their outfits.

* They don't get enough breaks.

* They don't have meals provided.

* Their training wasn't adequate to prepare them for the job.

* They weren't hired to work after passing the certification process.

I would tend to think that the first five are the most prevalent answers but the last two are the ones that we need to work on the most.

Here are some suggestions to helping close the back door:

* Be very specific during training about the hours, weather, outfits, break times, and lunch provisions. We don't want them to get an unpleasant surprise on their first assignment.

* Be sure they go through a good on-court training process. Its not fair to ask a newly certified official to shadow for a bunch of matches/shifts and then not pay them. Noone likes to work for free so we need to find some way to pay them for their time.

* Make sure they understand the pay scale in officiating. While some think it is too much there are always others that think its not enough. Just be sure they know in advance what the pay scale is going to be.

* Be sure that those experienced officials who are doing the training actually know what they are doing. Just because a "new dog" is following an "old dog" around doesn't mean he is trained. He might actually be learning the "old dog's" undesireable tricks...

* Be sure that the trainers actually know how to train, encourage, implement, and involve the new officials. Trainers need to be equipped to do their jobs too.

* Help the new officials understand that this is a "real job" and they need to do real preparation, study, and implementation. It needs to be made crystal clear that if they don't do their job, then they won't be hired.

* Offer a counseling program for officials who have failed the test (both written and performance). This can be done effectively and might help us reclaim some of the back door officials.

These are just a few thoughts for your consideration. Be sure to send us your ideas...

Clarification & New Question For You...

Please read the previous post to understand more fully the impact of this post...

SCENARIO: In an ITA men's dual match, Player A calls out and then changes his mind and continues to play the point. The chair official does nothing and goes along with the "change of mind". Player B keeps playing but subsequently loses the point.

What are your options:

1. Player A loses the point because he changed his call. End of discussion.

2. The Chair official should have stopped play the moment that an out call was made.

3. Ignore the outcall since the player changed his mind and then offer a gatoraide to the player that lost the point.

NOTE: It is my understanding that once a call has been spoken or signaled, then play should be stopped. If a player plays an out ball and then changes his mind but never give an out call, then its his mistake and play should continue. His opponent should then immediately thank Jesus for the gift he has just received...

Of course you can see from the picture below what the player will do if you get it wrong...

How Would You Rule? (Oklahoma version)

We often get blog posts from our blogging friends in Oklahoma but this one is great. Happened over the weekend in Oklahoma so we would sure like your comments.

SCENARIO: In a men's ITA dual match, player A signaled a ball was out during a rally but quickly corrected his call and kept playing. The chair official let them continue play.

Was this the correct action by the chair official?

SPECIAL NOTE: I did speak with the official who chaired the match and he said the player signaled 60% out and then continued play. We would welcome your comments on that too.

HINT: The Oklahoma coach did not think it was...

How Would You Rule?

Since this is one of your favorite posts and because I am tired of hearing about and writing about SA's, I thought I would pitch out this new one for you...

Scenario:

Women's ITA dual match. In her doubles match, when player A calls a serve out she then blasts the ball at the net woman and tries to hit her. Whenever her opponent returns a long serve (after calling it out) she then blasts the return at the net woman even though the ball has been called out.

What would you do????

"Undercover Officials" Have A New Name

Much has been said lately about our "undercover officials" and I have now received official word that their new name is SPORTSMANSHIP AMBASSADORS. Since I would not wish to falsely accuse someone of something, I will henceforth use their new name when refereeing to this new concept. Hopefully everyone will be able to adjust quickly to their new monicker...

Here are the Section approved guidelines for our SPORTSMANSHIP AMBASSADORS:

Sportsmanship Ambassador Guidelines

* Purpose of Sportsmanship Ambassadors is not to supplant officials or tournament staff. You are simply notifying the Competitive Department when you witness infractions.

* Do not get into discussions with players and parents, or interact with players in any way, unless harm is imminent.

* Be objective.

* Do not interfere with or disrupt a match in any way.

* Provide reports quickly and in writing (email is fine) noting witnesses when possible.

* Never, under any circumstance, assess point penalties under the PPS of the Friend at Court. Though you may choose to inform the referee or another official of your report, it is not required. At no time should you inform either player of your ensuing report.

I can agree with these guidelines but with reservations. I still think there is a strong possibility of lawsuits when a committee member can cause a player to get suspension points simply by writing up a report. Remember that this report by a committee member can generate suspension points which is the same as when they are given an oncourt code violation. Only time will tell the effectiveness of this new policy...

I would also like to have seen the wording changed to say that if they observe an infraction, they should immediately inform the REFEREE since this is his responsibility and not their's. Our officials are trained in handling issues that arise.

So, on goes the saga of our new SPORTSMANSHIP AMBASSADORS... We will have to see where it leads in the days to come.

Viewing The World Through Rose Colored Glasses

I was recently asked why I had the blog and why did I tackle controversial issues--and my response is:

* I blog because I enjoy it.

* I tackle controversial issues because it brings about dialogue and discussion--which I think are good things.

* I do both things because I hope people enjoy them and they bring about some much-needed changes.

There are times I could just walk away from issues that face officials but ignoring something is not always a valid response. On the issue of lunches for officials, I could easily ignore that subject since all my tournament directors provide meals for us and always will--but there are a lot of officials out there who are being penalized by tournaments that are violating policies that have been in effect for over 20 years.

It would also be easy to walk away from the controversy over "undercover officials" but I think that would be an abdication of responsibility since it affects ALL of us as officials.

I will always blog about fun things, satirical things, happy things, sad things, controversial things, helpful things--because its fun and I hope people enjoy it...

BUT........

Let me reaffirm upfront and very openly that I VIEW THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES and those glasses are covered by my allegiance to the following:

1. The Lord God in Heaven.

2. My kids and family.

3. OFFICIALS.

If I tend to be supportive of officials on every hand--so be it. It ain't gonna change... If you are anti-official or think all officials are inept, you might want to find another blog to read.

OFFICIALS--we love you all and think you are the best! Texas officiating stands heads above the rest of the country. We may have our warts and wrinkles, but we are still the best!

Clarification of Undercover Officials & Suspension Points

Its always interesting when an action or a blog post stirs up a lot of attention--and that has sure happened with our comments about "undercover officials." (Let me point out that I did not name them that, it was submitted to me by a Junior Council member so I took their word for it.)

I had a great conversation with Chad Loup in the Texas Section office today and after about an hour we came to some great conclusions. We all agree that there is a serious problem with behavior in USTA tournaments--and I'm personally glad that something is being done. I however, have some "reservations" about some of the details but I hope this post will clarify some things for us officials.

Here is the exact text from the Texas Section rules about who can write in and have suspension points assessed:

Persons authorized to file suspension point reports with the Tournament Referee and USTA Texas are:

Tournament Committee Members: Tournament Director, Referee, Site Directors

• Tournament Officials: Chair umpires, Roving Umpires, Deputy Referees
• Discipline and Grievance Committee Members
• Junior Tennis Council Committee Members
• Adult and Senior Tennis Council Committee Members
• USTA Texas Director of Competitive Tennis
• USTA Texas Competitive Coordinators
• USTA Texas Executive Director
• USTA Texas Management Committee
• USTA Texas Executive Committee
• Officials committee members

We also discussed the fact that when a person sends in a complaint and it is deemed valid, there will only be SUSPENSION POINTS assessed and not point penalties such as we would assess. Chad handles all complaints that are sent into the Texas Section office (and has for quite some time and does a great job) and he assures me that ALL complaints will be thoroughly investigated before suspension points are assessed--and I take him at his word.

Here are some of my reservations about this new policy:

* We need to be assured that these committee members are not there to evaluate officials.

* We need to be sure that they are very cautious about writing about something they witnessed when an official is on the court and dealing with the situation. No untrained committee member should have that right. It needs to be stressed continually that these committee members DO NOT have the authority to asses point penalties. (Of course that wouldn't even be possible after the completion of the tournament.)

* We need to be sure that empowered committee members DO NOT function as "undercover officials" in any capacity.

* I think the new policy leaves the Section and officials wide open for lawsuits but that's a matter better left with the Texas Section and their attorneys.

I did encourage Chad to write to us officials more frequently and alert us to any rule changes. These new policy is effective January 1, 2010, so we sure need to know the details. I was given his assurance that we would be hearing from him.

This post expresses my understanding of the new rules as clearly as I can state them. While I have my reservations, I still believe in the authority of our leadership in Austin and support them fully in this new rule. Hopefully it will lead to better behavior on and off the court in our tournaments.

We would welcome your comments...

Apparel Site For The Discerning "Undercover Official"

Since we now have a new group among us called "undercover officials" we wanted to share some great new information about a unique line of clothing. We do hope you will find it helpful...

Special hat imported from Australia and great for tree climbing.

The "cap look" could be in for 2010.

Great shoe line and effective in outrunning irate mothers.

The new shirt that is a "must" for sitting in a tree top.

The ever popular camo pant. Comes in men's and women's sizes.

Before you get your panties in a wad, remember that many a truth is said in jest and if you can't laugh when you're doing your job, then you shouldn't be doing it.

Just think of how much fun they used to make of us in our clown shirts.

Upcoming Officials Schools

For those of you who were unable to attend a school in January and February, here are the schools that will be held later in the year. Hope you find it helpful.

March 13-14 San Antonio Contact: Tippy Garza (arcadio3@sbcglobal.net)

May 22-23 Austin Contact: Mike Flynn (mflynn@austin.rr.com)

June 12-13 Houston Contact: Nancy Vivero (nancymv243@aol.com)

June 19-20 DFW Contact: Nancy Ebersole (ncebersole@yahoo.com)

June 26-27 Waco Contact: Jane Hammond (evelynjane1020@hot.rr.com)

A Few Options To Ponder

During the course of a normal week I get about 50 to 75 emails and posts about tennis officiating around the state and nation--as well as 500 or so hits on our blog--so I thought I might offer some random thoughts for your consideration.

I would make the following recommendation for your rumination:

That we allow the Metroplex Tennis Officials to give direction to the top half of the state and the Houston Tennis Umpires Association be given the bottom half of the state.

The reasoning behind this recommendation is the following:

1. They both have highly developed new officials training programs (including teaching on rules, shadowing, and on court training). They both have been implementing these programs for years so they don't have to have committee meetings to talk about doing them.

2. They both offer specialized training for working pro tournaments. Line and chair clinics are regular functions of these two associations.

3. They both have intensive new member enlistment programs. Noone does it better!

4. They both have experienced instructors who are willing to give oncourt training to ITA officials. Any official who desires to work at the ITA level can find training and opportunities in these two areas.

5. They both have committees to deal with complaints. The state and national leadership always refer complaints back to the local associations anyway so why not make it official.

6. They both have the structure to pay officials for their work.

7. They both have elected leadership (Cathy Kennan in DFW and Ginny James in Houston) who are very successful in their leadership. Both Presidents would be able to work in conjunction with the local officials associations in their respective areas. Noone would be left out.

8. They both have access to Chair Academies in their areas.

9. There would not be tremendous expenditures of money to have committee members attend meetings.

These are just a few thoughts for you to ponder... Might be an interesting and new concept!

At Least They Had A Meeting--But A Lot Of Money Down The Drain

This past weekend our Texas Section Officials Committee met--and accomplished very little if anything. Since the Section pays all the travel expenses for the members that means that about 20 people got an expense paid trip to Dallas (at a cost of at least $4,000 and probably much more than that).

Committee members have told me that they took the following "actions":

1. They discussed the officials schools that will be held in June and their dates.

2. They talked about selecting an assistant chairman but then did nothing.

3. That was it...

Here are the issues they didn't address:

1. "Undercover officials" espoused by the Junior Council.

2. Training for these "undercover officials."

3. The date of the Tournament Director/Referee workshop in Dallas that is required by the Section.

4. The minutes of the secret Ad Hoc Committee meeting held before the committee meeting.

5. The issue of the Section dealing with the solidarity of local officials associations.

I guess we will just keep hoping they address some real issues at the next meeting later this year.

Just think of how many officials shirts we could have bought and given out free with that $4,000 that was spent in Dallas...

Information About ITA Matches in Texas

A blogger recently asked the question about how ITA matches are officiated in Texas and here's the answer:

Baylor Referee plus 6 officials for all matches.

SMU 2-6 officials. Chair some matches.

TCU 3-6 officials. Chair most matches.

University of Houston 2 officials.

Rice 3-6 officials.

University of Texas chair all matches

University of North Texas 3-6 officials. Chair some matches.

UTA 3 officials

Texas A&M chair all matches

Howard Payne 1 official

UTD 1 official

If anyone has figures for other schools we would welcome the information.

What Is The Solution To Inept Officiating? Who Knows...

The infamous "undercover official"

Much ado has been made lately about what we should be doing to address poor officiating--and I believe this is a valid discussion. I tend to think that the vast majority of this "poor officiating criticism" comes at the local tournament level and is not nearly as predominant at ITA and professional levels. Perhaps that is because referees have much greater oversight of those matches and officials.

After a lengthy discussion last night with a very influential Texas Section person, I would simply like to make the following observations and then open it up for your thoughts.

* More high quality training is always the best solution.

* Referees should take a more proactive role in selecting and overseeing officials.

* Officials should take their responsibilities very seriously. You are being paid a good wage and the employers deserve a quality product.

* Remember that at the local tournament level you are going to get the newer and less experienced officials. Be patient as they are learning--just like the players and their parents. If you see a grievous error then go privately (and quietly) and speak to the tournament referee. They are the ones in charge and have oversight of the officials.

* If an official is not doing their job properly then they should be referred for additional training or not be hired again.

* Consider more carefully the ratio of "officials to courts." Currently in Texas the ratio is 1/11 courts and that is far too many to expect perfection from an official. There have even been tournaments in Dallas where the ratio is as high as 1/24 courts so this is a problem. I also recognize that cost is a problem if you lower the ratio but with the huge fees that are being charged for entry fees surely something can be done in this area.

* The Texas Section needs to offer training for parents and tournament directors that help them deal with unruly parents, players, and spectators. Remember the mother is the one who gave birth to little Tommy... She should be the main one to discipline him and watch his behavior on the court. If he misbehaves then take him off the court. You probably won't have to do it but once!

* The Texas Section Discipline and Grievance Committee should be more active and stringent in their penalties.

These are just a few suggestions on how to improve the situation that seems to be out of control in Texas tennis.

Here are some thoughts that I think are in error:

* Putting Texas Section committee members out there as "undercover officials." They have no right nor standing to function in this position. Very few of them are trained or certified officials and it also lends itself to personal bias.

* Casting continual doubt on the integrity and efficiency of all officials because you saw one official somewhere who didn't do what you thought they should have done. Any time you code a player or don't code one, you offend someone. Let the people in authority (referees, tournament directors and leadership) do their jobs.

* Do not always say that we are being paid so much that you should expect perfection. That ain't gonna happen and you know it.

These are just a few thoughts on this vital issue. We are looking forward to your comments.

Beauty Is In The Eye of the Beholder--And The Offense Is In The Eye of the Official

Much has been made lately about officials turning away from codeable offenses and doing nothing (see comment on "New Policy for Misbehaving Juniors in Texas) so I thought I would share a few random thoughts on this issue...

First, a person (parent, spectator, or undercover junior council member) sitting in the stands cannot know for sure what an official sees or doesn't see. When we are asked to officiate 11 courts (that's the average in Texas tournaments) it is impossible to see every infraction that occurs. Those detractors also need to remember that we are taught from day one that if we DON'T SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN THEN IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. Remember there are parents and players out there who will actually lie to you...

There is also the possibility that a trained official might not deem an offense as codeable when a parent or undercover council member might think it is. Perhaps a little training for the latter would help.

It seems that all the blame for unruly juniors is falling on the officials and that is wrong. It would help if the Discipline and Grievance Committee would mete out stronger penalties and maybe even offer some training in parenting for the parents. We're not out there to raise their disruptive child...

Of course the argument is always raised that we make so much money that we should be able to see every imaginable offense. I would suggest anyone that thinks that come and stand side by side with the official for 12-13 hours (without a break and without lunch being provided) in 105 degree heat and then tell me you think we are overpaid... If you are one of those detractors and would like to do this, just email me and I can find you an assignment that you will love!

I will not lend space in this post about tournament fees and tournament directors' profits--but I can assure you that it is soon coming...

Have a good one.

A Few Thoughts To Ponder For Our Officials Committee

Our Texas Section Officials Committee will be meeting in Dallas this Saturday (February 13th) and I thought I would submit a few things for them to ponder upon--and hopefully to question...

1. Does the secret Ad Hoc Committee still meet before each Officials Committee meeting? If so, ask to see the minutes and the names of participants from those meetings. That is a requirement for an organization such as the Texas Section.

2. Are there specific and concrete dates for the additional officials schools? We were promised additional schools later in the year so be sure to get the list and let me know so I can publish them for you.

3. Is there a specific date and time set for the Texas Section Tournament Directors/Referee Workshop in 2010? If it is in Austin, be sure to get the date of the one we were promised in Dallas. Sources tell us that the DTA refused to host the meeting and it has been cancelled.

4. Ask for an explanation as to why there is a "Hill Country Officials School" when it is in the locality of the San Antonio association. You might also ask that if this is permitted, why were we not permitted to host a school in McKinney.

5. Ask specifically if the Texas Section will uphold the sovereignty of the local associations when it comes to setting rates and policies. This means that they would question this arrangement before granting a sanction to a tournament.

These are just a few specific thoughts for our committee members to ponder on before the meeting--and hopefully we will get some specific and honest answers for a change.

New Officials Wear

Black Jacket (approximate cost $55-$57)

Black Windshirt (approximate cost $39-$41)

Black Fleece Vest (approximate cost $49-$51)

Black Referee Shirt (approximate cost $23-$25)

Here are some pictures of the new black officials wear. They look awesome on the court!

You will be able to order them online in the next couple of days. We will post the website as soon as it is complete.

New Policy For Misbehaving Juniors in Texas

There is a new policy regarding misbehaving junior tennis players in Texas--and one that elicits much thought and discussion...

The new policy is that if a Texas Section Key Committee member observes a junior tennis player (or parent or coach) misbehaving at a tournament they can send a note into the Section office after the tournament and the player can be penalized on the word of this committee member.

Perhaps we should consider this policy a bit closer...

In the past few years the Junior Council has accused the officials of not "enforcing the rules" strongly enough in Texas. Personally I consider this an insult and completely unfounded. When I asked the Junior Committee representatives how many courts the average official has to observe they said "ELEVEN." And they want us to enforce the rules more stringently with eleven courts??? Give me a break.

The main issue with this new policy is that the enforcement of rules and code violations are the responsibility of the officials--and not some committee member who may be observing a match from the stands. Imagine the problems you are going to have if a committee member "has it in" for a specific junior player and writes a bunch of bogus complaints. You will have one irate junior player (and mother) snapping at your heels...

I think it is all well and good for committee members to attend tournaments and observe ways to make them better but in no way do I condone their becoming JUNIOR OFFICIALS...

Hopefully this new policy can and will be discussed at the annual TEXAS SECTION OFFICIALS COMMITTEE MEETING in Dallas on Saturday.

To Code or Not To Code A Ball Hit Over The Fence

When do you code (or not code) a ball hit over the fence? That's always a question that confronts a good official and one that we all struggle with... We have all been at a pro match when the player blasts the ball over the fence and nothing is done--but that isn't (and shouldn't) be the case in ITA tennis.

Here are some scenarios that you might want to consider:

1. Player deliberately hits the ball over the fence into the parking lot.

2. Player smashes the ball onto the court and then it bounces over the fence.

3. Player hits the ball into the ground--it bounces twice and then over the lower fence between the courts.

Which of these would you code or not code and why?

Just a little picture below of what awaits you if you ignore balls being hit over the fence...

Today (February 8th) Is Last Day To Order New Shirts & Caps

Since our ITA ranks have grown in Texas so has the demand for our new ITA shirts. If you missed the original order and need one real soon, you can get a shirt and/or cap by contacting:

Randy McDonald (rmtennis@yahoo.com)

214 796 7402

The order will go in on February 8th so if you are interested in ordering, you need to do so real soon!

The shirts are $26 (which includes the price of the shirt and shipping. No tax) and come in men's and women's sizes. Sizes are: Small, medium, large, XL, 2XL, and 3XL.

Caps are $10 and includes the price and shipping. No tax.

The website to order these shirts, caps, and jackets will be open around February 15th but if you need something before then, just let me know and I can get them to you.

2010 Texas Section Chair Academy

The 2010 Texas Section Chair Academy will be held this year in conjunction with the Men's National Junior College Tennis Tournament on May 9-11, 2010. The academy will be held in Plano, Texas, and is open to those who are recommended by their local coordinators.

If you are interested in attending, be sure to contact your local coordinator and let them know of your interest.

The Texas Section Chair Academy is unique in that each participant will be on the court chair training in a men's ITA national tournament match. They will taught by National as well as Texas instructors and usually get to do 7-9 chairs each day. The schedule is rigorous but the applicants all receive valuable on-court training.

The only two requirements are as follows:

1. Applicant must be ITA certified.

2. Applicant must have some chair experience.

These are fairly easy requirements and if a person lacks chair experience they can contact their coordinator to help them with this requirement before May.

If you are interested--contact your local coordinator or Randy McDonald (rmtennis@yahoo.com)

Talk About Being POLITICALLY INCORRECT...

Rahm Emanuel (White House Chief of Staff)

Running true to established form, White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, created quite a stir when he called liberals a bunch of "f____ retards." Well know for his rabid statements, Emanuel finally issued a half hearted apology to the Special Olympics Committee.

Then to confound the issue even more, the Special Olympics Committee Chairman said that he had not accepted Emanuel's apology--and that comes after the White House said he had!

Perhaps "political correctness" had found a legitimate place...

Our Sympathy & Prayers to Paul Jordan

Our tennis officials family in Texas and Oklahoma extends our prayers and condolences to Paul Jordan in the passing of his wife, Patricia. Patricia went to be with the Lord yesterday (February 1, 2010) and her homegoing will be celebrated at the First Baptist Church in Mustang, Oklahoma on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

If you would like to convey a message to Paul, his email is: j1916j@yahoo.com

We know you will want to remember our dear friend and brother during his time of loss.

If you would like to convey your thoughts to Paul on this blog just leave a comment at the end of this post. He will be able to see them.