New Big 12 Football Poll & Special Pictures

Special new item available only in Waco for a mere $99.99

Winning a few games for a change makes them crazy on the Brazos.

Just standing outside the stadium in Norman.

Probably will win the Big 12 south but then end up in the Gator Bowl.

Hope springs eternal but probably never materializes.

Who can explain this one?

Imagine being married to this one.

Who says life isn't exciting in Nebraska?

Since they don't have much hope for anything at least he can always eat.

The sign says it all for those in Austin.

BE SURE TO VOTE IN THE POLL LOCATED ON THE RIGHT OF THE BLOG PAGE.

Tidbits Learned At The 4A Regional Tournament

Randy in action on the left, the shower soap in the middle, and Myron

in action on the right at the 4A regional tournament.

This past weekend I had the privilege of refereeing the 4A regional tennis tournament in Wichita Falls along with fellow officials Ron Ferguson (Oklahoma), Dean Richardville (Oklahoma), and the infamous Myron Krueger (Aledo, Texas). Here are some of the treasures that I learned over the weekend:

1. Sometimes when you stay at the Hawthorn Suites in WF they don't furnish soap and you may be forced to take a shower with dishwashing detergent. Never had this experience before but it was "indescribable" to say the least and I'm glad they put at least some type of soap in the room.

2. The Oklahoma officials call time at one minute on the changeover and then again with ten seconds to go. I guess that's an Oklahoma thing. I just wait until time has expired and then give a time violation warning and offend everyone.

3. Dean Richardville's wife makes the absolute best cookies in the entire universe.

4. Oklahoma officials like to refer to themselves as "seasoned officials" and even use the term "SO" when referring to themselves. I guess I'll have to meditate on this one and come up with what SO stands for other than seasoned official.

5. One of the "seasoned officials" from Oklahoma did not now that you don't give two time violations in a row. I'm sure Coach Roddick will love knowing this...

Such goes the learning experience of spending the weekend in Wichita Falls...

Is It Legal?

The question has come up this week about the new racket (pictured above) and its ensuing legality.

According to the USTA, the racket is perfectly legal. NOW--how about the serve pictured in the site below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYOW1DlydU&feature=related

I'm sure you all have an opinion about his serve motion. Be sure to send in your comments and we'll see where it leads us...

What Do We Do With The Latest Innovation???

An artist's rendition of an assistant tennis coach.

Just when I think we've heard it all and seen it all--someone comes up with something new!

Seems that our brothers and sisters in Oklahoma encountered something totally new this past weekend. In an ITA tournament the assistant coach would sit in the stands with a mini-camera and take pics of the ball hitting the court. He would then check the image and then signal the player as to whether they should request an overrule. Absolutely amazing and somewhat ingenious...

Since this is a new item for our consideration, I would appreciate hearing what you think we should do.

(Personally, if they wait until they check a picture and then signal the player about what to do, he has waited too long for an overrule but then I hate to be insensitive to the needs of our coaches and players...)

ITA: When Is It Legal?

In an ITA match the determination of whether a ball is in or out initially rests with the individual players. If there is a question, the opposing player can question the chair official and then receive a final determination.

The problems come when some players and/or coaches in the ITA have another coach or player sitting in the stands to give their "unbiased" view of the latest call. Many players have perfected the art of waiting to question a call until they have heard from their buddies in the stands. Some coaches deliberately put players on the lines so they can point to them when questioning the ruling by the chair official.

How would you deal with this???

1. Be sure the player requesting a ruling makes their appeal quickly and without consultation with the stands.

2. Check with the players in the stands to see if they agree with your ruling.

3. Always ask the coach's opinion before giving your ruling.

If your answer is #1, then how long do you think you should give the player to request a ruling:

1. 1-4 seconds.

2. 5-10 seconds.

3. 11-20 seconds.

4. 60 plus seconds.

I think we all understand that a chair's ruling should come without consultation with anyone but it has become a rising problem in ITA matches. We would welcome your comments.

The issue of coaching and sharing viewpoints of line calls has also become epidemic in the professional ranks.

Pictured below are Rafael Nadal's uncle and girlfriend--both of whom have been duly accused of the above infractions...

Having Fun At A UIL Tennis Match

UIL high school tennis matches are some of the highest quality--and most fun tennis events in Texas.

Pictured above are some of the Highland Park High School boys supporting one of their teammates in the district finals.

Let's Revisit The Medical Time Out Question

In one of our recent posts we posed the question about medical time outs and I think its an issue that perhaps we need to revisit...

SCENARIO

In an ITA men's tournament the player asks for a trainer to come to the court. When the trainer gets there and evaluates the player, he says there is nothing he can do for him.

Should the player be charged with a medical timeout?

OPINIONS

1. Charge the player with a MTO. This view is held by some in Texas and specifically by those who officiate the NCAA tournament. If the trainer is called to the court then the player is charged with the MTO.

2. No MTO is charged. One of our national instructors is credited with saying that a MTO starts when treatment begins. His best quote is, "Evaluation without treatment an MTO does not make."

What do you think???

2011 Officials Schools Schedule

COLLEGE STATION Jan. 8-9 (Michelle Walker 979 777 0983) walkersbmc@msn.com

DFW Jan. 15-16 (Nancy Ebersole 817 703 8708) ncebersole@yahoo.com

RGV Jan. 15-16 (Marta Hotz 956 581 7405) marta.hotz@ourclub.com

HILL COUNTRY Jan. 15-16 (Carol Bruehler 830 755 4599) redoaks@gvtc.com

HOUSTON Jan. 22-23 (Nancy Vivero 281 205 1568) nancymv243@aol.com

SAN ANGELO Jan. 22-23 (Courtney Negal 325 949 1534) cnagel@bentwoodcc.com

WACO Jan. 22-23 (Jane Hammond 254 772 0938) evelynjane1020@hot.rr.com

ABILENE Jan. 29-30 (Allen Prachy 325 676 8017) allen.prachyl@abileneisd.org

CORPUS Jan. 29-30 (Ralph Martin 361 850 9889) rmartin@stx.rr.com

TYLER Jan. 29-30 (Millard Countryman 903 534 0808) countryman@suddenlink.net

AMARILLO Feb. 5-6 (Janet Smith 806 231 8988) jjsmith96@hotmail.com

AUSTIN Feb. 5-6 (Mike Flynn 512 971 0505) mikeflynn4@gmail.com

LUBBOCK Feb. 5-6 (Trevor Edgemon 806 549 3124) tedge12@valornet.com

MIDLAND/ABILENE Feb. 19-20 (Bert Rainwater 432 290 0230) fsrainh2o@sbcglobal.net

WICHITA FALLS Feb. 26-27 (Bobby Haggerman 214 679 1384) weekspark@aol.com

SAN ANTONIO March 12-13 (Tippy Garza 210 824 9794) arcadio3@sbcglobal.net

PLANO May 15 (Randy McDonald 214 796 7402) rmtennis@yahoo.com

DFW June 18-19 (Nancy Ebersole 817 703 8708) ncebersole@yahoo.com

AUSTIN June 25-26 (Mike Flynn 512 971 0505) mikeflynn4@gmail.com

LAREDO TBA (Al Trevino 956 724 7179) doct@bizlaredo.rr.com

* Most classes will finish on Saturday.

* Please register with the coordinator at least one week prior to the date of the school.

BCS Rankings Out

Oklahoma ranked #1 in the first BCS rankings.

You have got to be kidding me.

OU & Missouri Cheerleaders Already Working

Missouri Cheerleader in action.

Oklahoma cheerleader still thinking about it.

Next Saturday (October 23rd) the Boomer Sooners will be visiting the Missouri Tigers--with both teams undefeated.

However, after Saturday only one will be left standing... Any comments as to who it might be?

(BTW, I bought a new UT shirt today since my 'Horns are returning to their former glory.)

Meet One Of Our New Officials

I was out riding my bike this morning and met this guy working in his yard. Stopped to talk for a moment and he said he was finishing up his yardwork and then would be heading out to OFFICIATE a ZAT tournament. He then proceeded to tell me how excited he was to be a tennis official...

Imagine the reviews from the ZAT tournament...

Imagine how well he would do in the chair for a Texas-Texas A&M dual men's match...

Imagine how well he will do on the new criminal background checks...

Imagine what it will look like if he chooses not to wear his USTA shirt...

Medical Time Out Questions

Now that the ITA season is in full swing we are encountering more and more questions concerning a medical time out. Here are some scenarios and we would welcome your wise and learned opinions on the matter...

SCENARIO ONE

In an ITA tournament, the player calls for a trainer to the court for a MTO. It takes the trainer 10 minutes to get to the court and then the player says that he doesn't need the MTO after all.

What would you do?

1. Charge him with a medical timeout since the trainer came to the court.

2. Do not charge him with the medical timeout since he told them he didn't want one.

3. Tell the trainer to get to the court a little faster.

4. Tell him he can take a medical timeout/bathroom break next time he needs a medical timeout.

SCENARIO TWO

In an ITA tournament, the player calls for a trainer to the court for a MTO. When the trainer arrives and diagnoses the problem he tells the player that he's sorry but there's nothing he can do for him.

What would you do?

1. Charge the player with a MTO since the trainer came to the court.

2. Give him a free ride on the MTO since they couldn't do anything to help him.

3. Hope noone is watching and just pat him on the butt and tell him to play on.

SCENARIO THREE

In an ITA tournament, the player has already had a medical timeout for cramping. He begins to have problems with another issue so how would you advise him?

1. Keep playing since you've already had a MTO and you're out of luck.

2. Use your bathroom break-MTO to take care of it.

The Joys Of Raising A NEWBIE OFFICIAL

In the tennis officiating world there is nothing more exciting than being a NEWBIE OFFICIAL or having the privilege of being around one. Their excitement and exuberance is contagious but then their personalities and quirks are sometimes frustrating. Sometimes we can turn to the animal kingdom for advice on how to raise our young...

(This post is dedicated to a newbie official in Oklahoma whose name I will not publicly reveal. However, here are some hints: he's only been officiating for approximately 2 years, he doesn't require Jesus to have a last name before giving a code. This newbie official is making great progress and informed me yesterday that he is now a SO (seasoned official). Time will tell...)

Sometimes the newbies are so young they need our care and protection.

Sometimes they just need an older official to stand over them and protect them.

Sometimes they come in bunches--and they all suck.

Sometimes the bunches can grow into snappers and biters. Just imagine how they do at their first ZAT tournament...

A few newbies grow into howlers. They howl about everything that happens in their life like they are the first ones it has ever happened to.

Some just stay close to the older ones for comfort and strength. Its also easier to blame it on the old one if something goes wrong.

And they all need to be protected from old officials like this one!

The Long Hard Road To Becoming An ITA Chair Official

As we work grassroots tournaments around the state we invariably meet people who come up to say, "I would like to become an ITA chair official. It looks like it would be so exciting and so much fun!"

Well, it is fun and exciting but it is also a position that requires a lot of training and hard work. While it may be true that you can rove a USTA tournament after taking your provisional test or you can call lines at a pro tournament after a 10 minute training session, its sure not that way with ITA chair officiating.

In Texas we offer some of the best training available. Our training schools cover everything from the rules and tennis etiquette to dealing with difficult people. We have some of the finest trainers in the country so the future is bright indeed in Texas! (And we will even share some of our chair officials with Oklahoma if they behave...)

Someone recently asked me how long it takes to become a viable ITA chair official. It takes about a year in all reality. You need to do some roving at USTA tournaments to get your feet wet but then you need to spend time in training in order to be able to do the job effectively. You can't just take a test and then hop in the chair.

Here are our various levels of training in Texas:

LOCAL COORDINATORS

This is the starting point for everyone who wants to do ITA chairs. Your local coordinators can put you in touch with the local referees and then you can begin working USTA tournaments as a rover.

LOCAL ITA COORDINATORS

If you are fortunate to live in a city or area with an ITA coordinator you are already in a great position. You need to meet with them personally so they can get to know you and then ask them to train you. EVERY ITA COORDINATOR in Texas is more than willing to train new folks so be sure to take this important step. Once you are "in training" or have "completed training" your ITA coordinator will share the word with other coordinators throughout the state.

Here are the ITA coordinators in Texas:

Millard Countryman (Tyler JC & UT Tyler)

Trevor Edgemon (Texas Tech)

Ginny James (Univ. of Houston, Rice)

Cheryl Jones (Big 12)

Myron Krueger (TCU)

Sara Lammerts (Texas A&M)

Randy McDonald (SMU, UTA, & UNT)

Rick Moensch (UTSA)

Chuck Scott (Baylor University)

Duke Williams (ACU & HSU)

Vickie Wright (University of Texas)

PLANO CHAIR ACADEMY

Sponsored by the Texas Section of the USTA and Collin College, this is the premier chair training event in the country. National and state instructors come in for this three day training event that is done in conjunction with the Men's National Junior College Tournament and is always held during the month of May. Participation is by invitation only and you must have a recommendation from your local ITA coordinator.

BAYLOR "LIVE FIRE" TRAINING

Another top flight training school for ITA officials. This event is held in conjunction with a major ITA tournament at Baylor University and again it is by invitation only and you must have a recommendation from an ITA coordinator. This training is held during the month of September.

CHAIR TRAINING IN DALLAS

Specialized chair training at Highland Park High School with state instructors. Chair officials will get "on court" training in conjunction with Highland Park High School dual matches. HP is the premier high school tennis program in America so this is a fantastic opportunity for chair training.

Once you have been through most, if not all, of these opportunities you will be well-prepared to hit the courts!

If you are interested in knowing more, please feel free to contact me at 214 796 7402 or email me at: rmtennis@yahoo.com

Congratulations To The Visionary Leadership of The ITA

Thanks to the leadership of the ITA the new shirts (pictured below) became a reality in 2010.

For those of you who have been involved in tennis officiating for a long time you know that change often comes slowly if at all--but this is not the case for the leadership of the ITA.

About a year ago Myron Krueger, Chuck Scott, and I presented a proposal to the ITA about having a distinctive and unique ITA to wear in all ITA events. Thanks to the visionary leadership of David Benjamin and Angel Prinos in conjunction with the USTA and our Texas Sectional Chairman (Bruce Sampley), we were able to implement the new shirts last January and they have been nothing short of a rousing success.

Listed below are the schools and events that use the new ITA shirt:

Baylor University

Collin College

SMU

TCU

University of Texas

University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University

University of Arkansas

University of Tulsa

Rice

University of Houston

Howard Payne University

University of Texas at Dallas

University of Texas at Arlington

University of North Texas

Southland Conference Tournament

Junior College Men's National Tournament

Tyler Junior College

University of Denver

Numerous universities in California

A special thank you to David and Angel for their leadership. You are all much-appreciated!

New Study: The Paradoxes of Being Over/Underweight

Overweight women make on an average of $15,000/year less than thin counterparts.

Thin/skinny women rank much higher on the wage scale.

Overweight men make more than thin/skinny men.

Not acceptable in today's marketplace.

Not too sure what this new study means or reveals but at least I can go back to eating my vanilla Blue Bell ice cream with chocolate syrup every night and not feel guilty.

I'm just moving up in the job market...

Great New Stats For Our Blog

I just checked the stats for our blog last month and we had 6,050 hits (readers)! That comes out to quite a few people every day...

I hope you are all enjoying the blog and we truly hope that it is being instrumental in helping officiating around the country. A new official recently told me that an older official in the Metroplex warned him about reading the blog and that we are "being monitored." If that is true, just send me your email address and I can send you a notification anytime there is a new blog post. We do want to be sensitive to your needs...

We try to get a mix of facts, statistics, updates, rules, humor, and a light touch of politics. We're always open to any suggestions of how to make the blog even better.

Thanks for being one of 6,050.

The Elephant In The Room

As we blog and discuss different topics sometimes we encounter one of those subjects that everyone knows and talks about but always in a low and subdued tone. In modern vernacular it is called the "elephant in the room".

In the tennis world that elephant is CANCELLATION OF MATCHES...

It seems that the issue of CANCELLING MATCHES after being scheduled has become a real problem this year. It occurs predominantly when someone gets a Big 12 match and then they rush to cancel everything from a previously scheduled match to their wedding to the birth of their first child. It has nothing to do with Cheryl Jones and her scheduling--but has a lot to do with the integrity of some of our officials.

Here are some guidelines that might help:

1. You should always honor your first commitment unless you have a previous arrangement with the coordinator. I have no problem with someone saying that I'm not committing to you until I hear from the Big 12--but remember, what you might have wanted might not be there when you come back. Its like accepting a date with an ugly boy while you are waiting for the king to ask you out--and then when the king calls you have to find a way to dump your original date.

2. You can always ask to be released from your first commitment--but its not always guaranteed that that will happen. I have people all the time ask to be released for a variety of reasons and normally I do so if I can find a replacement. If I can't find a replacement, then I expect them to honor their commitment.

3. It doesn't hurt to have a "working agreement" with your coordinator. For instance, I may sign up for Baylor or UT matches with the understanding that when I get the SMU schedules I may need to stay in Dallas. The coordinators know up front so there is no misunderstanding.

4. Do not for any reason overbook on your availabilities. This is a practice that will always end up getting you in trouble.

5. Don't whine and howl when you aren't released from an assignment. Remember you are the one who made the commitment in the first place.

Here are some reasons that are unacceptable when asking for a cancellation:

1. I have to go do a Big 12 match. Trust me, this will get you cancelled on your other matches if you aren't careful.

2. I have to go call lines in a pro tournament somewhere. This will pretty well end your ITA career before it gets started and besides, those are places that can be hazardous to your health.

3. My grandmother died. Be sure its no more than two grandmothers and hopefully not at the same time.

4. I won a cruise and I have to take it. This will work only one time but hopefully its a good cruise.

5. I overbooked or double-booked. Please never use this one!

6. The water in Waco makes me nauseous. While this may be true, its not a valid excuse for requesting a cancellation.

7. I don't like the coach on that match. You should have thought of that before you returned your availability and had an assignment.

8. Nebraska in the winter is too cold for me. Again, you should check the weather channel.

9. I get a rash in College Station. Get some ointment that works or don't sign up.

10. _____ was mean to me last year. If you don't like your treatment, don't go back.

11. I only do chairs. You should think about that before saying you are available.

What List Are You On?

Sometimes I get a blog comment that is worth expanding upon--and that happened yesterday. Some of the following thoughts are mine and some are from this comment.

As coordinators in the tennis officiating world we all operate with different "lists". Here are just a few for your parousal:

ALWAYS USE LIST

* Always supportive, helpful, kind, and willing to do the job.

* Never cancels after committing to work.

* Doesn't run off to go call lines at some pro tournament in Possum Gulch, Michigan.

* Gets along well with other officials. Has good social skills.

* Is always punctual.

* Has a good working knowledge of the rules.

* Can handle different on-court situations well.

* Is always well dressed and properly groomed. Size doesn't matter but cleanliness does.

DO NOT USE LIST

* Cancels an assignment on someone without ample warning.

* Cancels matches to go do Big 12 matches.

* Don't play well with others and are constantly criticizing everything.

* Constantly calling to see when they will get paid. (The average pay time in ITA is 4 weeks.)

* Constantly shows up late for assignments.

* Complains when not given the #1 singles match.

* Breaks the pencil of other officials.

* Takes the sunglasses off of another official's face.

* Always giving unsolicited advice to other officials. If you aren't the referee then its probably best to keep your opinions to yourself.

* Always talks about doing lines at a pro tournament that noone has ever heard of.

DOUBLE RESTRICTED LIST

* Has a history of everything that would get them placed on the "do not use" list.

* Doesn't pay attention to their assignments and other officials have to take up the slack.

* Lies about reasons why they cancelled matches after previously committing.

BANNED FOR LIFE LIST

* Goes behind the referee's back to try and get the coach to let them be their coordinator.

* Goes behind the referee's back to get the coach to make him use him/her in all their matches.

* Lies consistently and continually.

* Files a grievance against a coordinator for not using them when they refused to do roving.

* Continually spreads untruths about other officials.

REMEMBER: A coordinator needs to have "lists" so they don't get put on the coach's "do not use list" themselves.

The Pitfalls Of A Bad Apple

All through life from the workplace to the marketplace we find that age old principle that a bad apple can spoil things for everyone--and that is true in our glorious officiating world.

BUT... to counter that thought, I honestly believe that even though we have some "bad apples" we also have a whole bunch of "really good apples" in tennis officiating. The modern media always seems to glamorize the negative but I think we always come out ahead if we accentuate the positive and build up those who are doing things the right way.

Since my tennis officiating life is spent primarily in the ITA and training worlds, I thought I would offer these thoughts:

1. A bad apple is seldom found, but where they exist, they cause a lot of problems.

2. A bad apple shows up most when its with a bunch of good apples.

3. The owner of the basket should take quick steps to remove or remedy a bad apple because they can quickly ruin everything around them.

4. The best way to determine a bad apple is to look at what comes out of their mouth and the fruit that they produce in their lives.

5. The quickest cure for a bad apple is just don't hire them.

6. When you are training new, good apples be sure that you do so with plenty of praise and good instruction. Browbeating a new official doesn't do anything other than produce a bruised apple.

7. Teach the good apples to avoid the bad apples. They survive on their ability to influence and corrupt others and when that is taken away, they have nothing to do.

8. When the bad apples are in leadership, work to put good apples in their place. It may take time but its worth it.
Sometimes the contrast between a good apple and a bad one are obvious to all around. Keep your eyes open--and run from the bad ones...

In reality, some bad apples are bad because "the devil made them do it" and then they loved it so much, they kept on doing it themselves...

How Would You Rule?

In a UIL dual match, one of the players blasted the ball into the parking lot after losing his doubles match. What would you do?

1. Code violation, point penalty assessed in his singles match which is to follow.

2. Do nothing.

3. Pat him on the head and say, "Good hit."

4. Call his Mother to the court and have her deal with him.

Remember: UIL rules are distinctively different...

New Rule Changes

I received a copy from "on high" in the USTA world concerning these changes. If you would like a copy of the original changes and explanations, just email me and ask and I'll send it to you. My email is: rmtennis@yahoo.com

Listed below are rule changes EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2011:

Amend Section 12 of The Code (P. 47) as follows:

12. Out calls reversed. A player who calls a ball out shall reverse the call if the player becomes uncertain or realizes that the ball was good. The point goes to the opponent and is not replayed. However, when a receiver reverses a fault call on a serve that hits the net, the server is entitled to two serves.

Amend Section 16 of The Code (P. 47) be deleting in its entirety and renumbering the remaining subsections (P. 47).

Amend Table 10 (P. 109) as follows:

III. Conducting the tournament.

C. Rest.

1. Rest between matches unchanged.

2. Rest between sets.

TIME ALLOWED BETWEEN SETS

* B & G 18 Mandatory 10 minute rest period between 2nd and 3rd sets. During this time no player shall practice.

* B & G 12-18 Mandatory 3 minute rest period between 2nd set and tiebreak when match tiebreak is used in lieu of a 3rd set. During this time no player shall practice.

* A player is governed by the rest period in the division in which the player plays.

* Coaching is not allowed during a 120-second set break. Coaching is allowed during any

mandatory 3-minute or 10-minute rest period and any optional 10-minute rest period.