Serena's Banshee Hair

SERENA WILLIAMS and her awesome hair!

Serena's hairdo in her match this morning at Wimbledon was just too good to pass up for a blog post...

Serena won her match 6-7, 6-2, 9-7 and hit 23 aces in the process.

It must have been the Banshee hair...

Nadal Out Of Wimbledon

LUKAS ROSOL

In one of the biggest surprises in tennis history, Lukas Rosol defeated Rafael Nadal in today's singles matches. The score was 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Nadal's loss means his half of the draw is now wide open. Don't you know Djokovic and Federer now realize that their semi-final match is probably the finals...

Who do you think will win the tournament???

ITA Availabilities: When To Send Them Out...

One of the hottest topics these days seems to be the sending out of ITA availabilities for next spring and whether they should be sent out so soon, so it might be a good time to enter in to the discussion...

On one hand, it seems that "the earlier the better" is the best course of action. This mindset means that the coordinator believes that he/she will get the best officials by getting their availability out first. I tend to agree but it could also mean that the weaker officials sign up for everything in hopes of getting something...

In the past (and this is about 5 years ago), the majority of coordinators would wait until September 1st to send out their availabilities. This made it easier for the officials to commit 6 months in advance instead of 8-9 months. Since the Baylor and Arkansas availabilities are already out there and Big 12 is coming soon, it seems like our lot in life is to commit WAY IN ADVANCE in order to go where we want to go.

Personally, I would like to see all the coordinators wait until October 1 to send out their availabilities and then everyone send theirs out at the same time. But then, I just bought a piece of land in Africa...

In case you are wanting to work ITA matches in the spring, here are the coordinators and their schools for your information:

Arkansas (Mike Standrod)

Baylor (Chuck Scott)

Rice University (Ginny James)

SMU (Randy McDonald)

TCU (Myron Krueger)

Texas A&M (Sara Lammerts)

Texas Tech University (Trevor Edgemon)

University of Houston (Ginny James)

University of North Texas (Randy McDonald)

University of Oklahoma (Jim Lawson)

University of Texas at Arlington (Randy McDonald)

University of Texas (Vickie Wright)

University of Texas at San Antonio (Carol Bruehler)

Interesting Graduation Rate Stats

The Dallas Morning News printed an interesting story this morning about U Conn being banned from this year's NCAA basketball tournament because of their failing graduation rate.

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/DallasMorningNews/

Also included in this story were the graduation stats from numerous Texas universities and Big 12 schools. Here are those stats with schools listed, their scores, and change from last year:

FOOTBALL

Div I Average 948 +2

Baylor (956 +5)

North Texas (938 +6)

Oklahoma (970 +10)

Ok. State (928 -14)

SMU (941 +2)

TCU (937 +1)

Texas (937 -4)

A&M (946 +6)

Tech (946 +2)

MEN'S BASKETBALL

DIV I AVERAGE 950 +5

Baylor (956 -16)

North Texas (964 +18)

Oklahoma (956 -3)

Oklahoma State (928 +1)

SMU (943 -3)

TCU (948 +5)

Texas (1000 0)

A&M (933 -19)

Tech (956 -14)

UTA (945 -9)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

DIV I AVERAGE 970 +2

Baylor (967 +7)

North Texas (936 -13)

Oklahoma (1000 0)

Oklahoma State (934 +4)

SMU (944 -10)

TCU (968 -1)

Texas (978 +14)

A&M (969 +8)

Tech (975 +1)

UTA (953 +12)

Follow Up Story To The Nalbandian Default Story

This news just in:

LONDON (AP) Police are investigating an assault complaint filed against David Nalbandian after the Argentine tennis player kicked an advertising board and injured a line judge during the Queen's Club final.

London police declined to say who made the complaint against Nalbandian, who was defaulted from Sunday's match against Marin Cilic in the grass-court Wimbledon warmup event.

Any member of the public who witnessed the event in person or on television could have made a complaint, as could the line judge himself.

''We are aware of an incident at the Aegon Championships,'' theMetropolitan Police said in a statement on Monday. ''A complaint has been made and the Metropolitan Police Service is now investigating. The allegation is of assault.''

Nalbandian won the first set 7-6 (3) but lost his temper after losing serve to fall behind 3-4 in the second. After missing a running forehand on game point, he kicked the board under the chair of line judge Andrew McDougall. A piece of the board cut the judge on the left shin, leaving him bloodied from an inch long gash.

Tournament director Chris Kermode said McDougall received first-aid care but needed no further treatment after seeing a doctor.

Nalbandian was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct. ATP rules state that any violent action will result in an automatic default.

Nalbandian also was stripped of his $57,350 in prize money and could face a fine. He is still scheduled to play at Wimbledon, which starts Monday.

Nalbandian insisted he shouldn't have been disqualified.

''It's very tough to end a final like that,'' he said.

What's Your Opinion: Nalbandian Defaulted At Queens For Hurting Linesman

Here is the news writeup of Nalbandian's default. What do you think of how it was handled?

LONDON (AP) The Queen's Club final was halted abruptly whenDavid Nalbandian injured a line judge, handing the title to Marin Cilic.

The 10th-seeded Nalbandian was leading in the second set Sunday when he kicked the small barrier surrounding the line judge in anger. A piece of the barrier then hit the line judge, causing bleeding on his left shin.

After checking on the line judge, the chair umpire decided to end the match.

Nalbandian insisted he shouldn't have been disqualified.

''Sometimes you get very frustrated on court and it's tough to control that, and sometimes I do a mistake. So it's very tough to end a final like that,'' he said. ''But sometimes we feel so much pressure from the ATP to play a lot of tournaments. They don't do anything (for) us, and today I do a mistake and I have to pay like that.

''I agree I do a mistake but sometimes everybody do a mistake and I didn't feel it had to end like that, especially in a final.''

ATP rules state that any violent action will result in an automatic default.

''It's an unfortunate situation for everyone involved, the spectators, the tournament, the sponsors, the players and the linesman,'' Brad Drewett, ATP executive chairman and president, said in a statement. ''David certainly did not mean for this to happen, however the rules are very clear in a situation like this and causing injury to someone is an automatic default for any player.''

Tournament director Chris Kermode said the unidentified line judge had received first-aid care but needed no further treatment after seeing a doctor.

''It's definitely not the way I wanted to win it,'' Cilic said. ''The match was still open but I can't change it. I'm sorry for the (spectators) that it had to end like this.

''We had some good rallies, and it's hard to see the final end like this.''

The Argentine had been leading the sixth-seeded Cilic 7-6 (3), 3-4 in the grass-court Wimbledon warmup when the incident occurred.

''There is a lot of rules, and sometimes they (ATP officials) don't do anything. The rule book is very big and I can tell you that the ATP do a lot of mistakes to the players and nothing happens,'' Nalbandian said.

Nalbandian was playing his first final on grass since losing to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon 10 years ago. He was bidding to become the first player from Argentina to capture an ATP grass court title since Javier Frana won at Nottingham in 1995.

Nalbandian's last title came in Washington in August 2010.

''We have a sold-out crowd. It's packed. We were watching some great tennis so to have the match end this way is incredibly disappointing,'' Kermode said. ''In sport, these things happen. There's not a lot we can do about it. We are under the governorship of ATP rules and that's how it stands. It's a great crowd, great final. You'd like to think you can bend it, but I can see from their point of view it's difficult.''

Oakley Sunglasses

Oakley Polarized Sunglasses

Having read a great article in the Dallas Morning News about people wearing polarized sunglasses and the protection that this affords, I checked out different sites for some of the best.

The common consensus was that Oakleys were the best so here is a great link:

http://oakleyvault.com/catalog?N=0

You can also find this site by going to the top right side of the blog and clicking on "Oakley sunglasses."

If you have other good sites, please let us know. This site usually offers Oakleys from 30-60% off.

Time For Texas Section TD/Referee Workshop Registration--And More Questions...

Listed below is the Texas Section announcement concerning registration for this year's Tournament Director/Referee Workshops:

USTA Texas Section Tournament Director’s Workshop Information

We are gearing up for the annual Tournament Director’s Workshop and look forward to seeing everyone soon. Remember the workshop is mandatory annually for a tournament director or referee of a junior sanctioned tournament, and the workshop is mandatory every two years for a tournament director or referee of an adult, senior or super senior tournament. This year's Tournament Director's Workshop will be different from past years - we will be holding smaller breakout sessions rather than having just one large session. Through the online registration system you will have the ability to indicate which tournaments you run or are interested in. From your selections we will create a personalized agenda for you. Your agenda and other pertinent information will be sent approximately one week before the workshop is scheduled to begin.

If you would like to attend the Austin, Texas workshop on Sunday, September 30th from 9:00am to 5:00pm, please click on the following link and register online. The deadline for this workshop is end of day August 26th. There will be a $3.55 processing charge for this registration.

http://www.regonline.com/ustatexas2012tournamentdirectorsworkshopaustin

If you would like to attend the Dallas, Texas workshop sponsored by the DPTA on Monday, September 24th from 9:00am to 5:00pm, please click on the following link and register online. The deadline for this workshop is end of day August 26th. There will be a $3.55 processing charge for this registration. When you check-in at this workshop a $20 check made payable to the DPTA will be due.

http://www.regonline.com/ustatexas2012tournamentdirectorsworkshopdallas

Since the workshop is required and is only held in Austin and Dallas, there remain some very pertinent questions which need answers:

* Since this training is required, why not offer it in the Officials Schools which are taught across the entire state and would save TD's and referees the huge cost of going to either Dallas or Austin. There is nothing taught in this workshop that couldn't be taught by the Texas Section certified instructors that are used in our schools.

* Why not offer the workshop in cities such as Houston, McAllen, Lubbock, or San Antonio instead of always having them in Austin and Dallas? Perhaps this is answered in the next question...

* Why do they charge the DPTA to host the workshop when the Texas Section office is there to serve the needs of tennis players, tournament directors, and officials--instead of the other way around? We do know that one other site asked to be a host but were told they would have to pay for the meeting room, pay for USTA staff travel, lodging (to and from the location), and organize lunch at the workshop.

* The Texas Section sanctions 350 tournaments a year (according to their own figures) at $250 per tournament. Why not use that $87,500 to pay for this required workshop and start offering it at other locations around the state--at no charge.

* Sources tell us that the Section may be going up to $5 per online entry from the current $3.50 entry. Why not use that money to pay for this required workshop and make it easier for those attending.

* At least they have made one step of progress in that they are custom designing the workshop for the attendees. Hopefully that means you won't have to sit through 5 hours of junior tournament details when you only do adult tournaments.

* Since the Texas Section can pay for the travel and expenses for everyone on every committee to come to Dallas annually, surely they could afford to branch out on something they require of every TD in Texas. Just imagine what it costs to come for a one day workshop from Amarillo to Austin or McAllen to Austin...

Maybe it is time for the Officials Committee to begin asking some of the difficult questions.

How Long Do We Put Up With Illegal Behavior?

There are many times that a tennis official will wonder about their level of tolerance when it comes to bad behavior by players, coaches, and parents. Check out this email we received last week:

"Have you heard about anything that happened at the NCAA's between USC & ILLINOIS mens dubs match with Steve Johnson of USC going crazy over a chair's overrule of his call? Heard he went over the deep end, by not only arguing & kicking a ball out of court, but also a point or two later hit an overhead smash right at the umpie's chair. He was never coded at all for this. If this kind of stuff went on how are we going to enforce anything with players doing this kind of stuff at NCAA's."

What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think that the fact that Steve Johnson is the darling of ITA tennis had any bearing on this lack of a code?

Tribute To Billy Fuls

We were notified on Thursday of the passing of our friend and fellow official, Billy Fuls, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Billy was a fine man and a true asset to our officiating family. He will be missed by all...

Here is his obituary from today's Corpus Christi Caller Times:

Billy Edward Fuls was called to be with his maker on Thursday, June 7, 2012, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Billy was born on July 8, 1948 in Enid, Oklahoma.

He was preceded in death by his parents Edward L. and Marie (Cooley) Fuls, and his grandparents William and Eva (Webb) Fuls of Enid, Oklahoma.

He is survived by his sister Sandra (Tom) Griffin of St. Louis, Missouri, his only son Kevin Fuls of Corpus Christi, Texas and his beloved wife Thelma Gallimore-Fuls of Lake Corpus Christi, Texas, she was at his side every courageous step that he took.

Billy attended Corpus Christi State University in 1970, and received a Bachelor's of Science Degree, he then attended Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas and received his Master's in Marine Biology. Billy devoted most of his life to the study and research of marine life and habitat. Billy had worked tirelessly in research for the betterment of marine life; many of his studies have been published in Texas Wildlife Magazine, and CCBNEP. Billy loved all sports, he was an active member with the CC Tennis Association and he also referred and umpired across the state of Texas. In 2011-2012, he was given the distinguished Umpire of the Year Award. Billy also loved traveling cross-country, he and his wife Thelma had recently come back from a trip to Branson, Arkansas. Billy also gave of his time as the Executive Director and Support Group Facilitator for the Hepatitis C Network here in Corpus Christi. This group is committed to Hepatitis C support awareness, and education in our community and the Coastal Bend Area. Billy also taught Biology and Anatomy courses at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas for many years. Most recently, Billy received all his holy sacraments and became a member of the Holy Catholic Church, he was a parish member at St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Sandia, Texas. Billy devoted a lot of time helping and being an active member at the Mission. Billy's Family and his extended family would like to thank Dr. John E. Schulze, Dr. Emile Salloum, and the nursing staff at Doctors Regional Hospital for their compassion through this very difficult time. In addition, all of the family and friends who came by daily to check on the family, your flowers, cards, food and words of encouragement were greatly appreciated by Billy and his family.

A Rosary will be recited at 1:00 p.m. with a Mass to follow at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, June 11, 2012 at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church (3513 Cimarron Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas). A Reception honoring Billy will follow immediately at the Parish Hall.

Fall Chair Training Schedule Announced

We are pleased to announce that the schedule for the FALL CHAIR TRAINING is now available.

This is a great opportunity for people who are interested in doing ITA chair work to get the necessary training and is open to everyone who might be interested. Beginners are welcome to get their feet wet in on-court training...

Some of the training is offered at the ITA tournaments this summer but the majority of the training takes place at Highland Park High School during their dual match season. If you participate in all of the training, you may easily do 25 chairs by October 31.

At this time we are unable to pay you while you are being trained but this is a great opportunity for you to get started and get the experience you will need before you can be hired. Once you are involved in the training we can send evaluations to your local ITA coordinator for you.

If you are interested, email Randy McDonald (rmtennis@yahoo.com) or give him a call at 214 796 7402.

2012 FALL CHAIR TRAINING SCHEDULE

July 13-16 ITA tournament (Collin College, Plano, Texas)

July 21-24 ITA tournament (UTA, Arlington, Texas)

Aug. 24-25 Highland Park High School tournament

Sept. 4 Highland Park vs Forney (4:00 p.m.)

Sept. 22 Highland Park vs Southlake (11:00 a.m.)

Sept. 25 Highland Park vs West Mesquite (4:00 p.m.)

Sept. 28 Highland Park vs El Paso Coronado (3:30 p.m.)

Sept. 29 Highland Park vs McKinney North (9:30 a.m.)

Oct. 9 Highland Park vs Newman Smith (4:00 p.m.)

Oct. 16 Highland Park vs Terrell (4:00 p.m.)