Great New Blog Discovered! Be Sure To Check It Out.

As an avid reader (and writer) of blogs, I very seldom find one that I would promote on this blog but I discovered one this week.  I heard from the blog owner, Lisa Stone, and she shared a link to her blog after reading ours.

After checking out her blog I think we officials would find some really constructive reading and ideas from reading and sharing it.  She shares some great thoughts and ideas from a tennis parent's perspective that I think you would really enjoy.  Be sure to check it out!

Here is the link to her latest post on whether parents are willing to pay more to have more officials in their tournaments:  (Be sure to take the survey and then check out the results.  I think you will find them amazing!)

http://parentingaces.com/having-enough-refs-whats-it-worth-to-you/

Here is the link to her blog's home page:

http://parentingaces.com/

You will also find that we have provided a link to her blog on the right hand side of our blog home page.

Should There Be An Age Limit For Collegiate Officials?

While we have a USTA stipulation that a young official cannot officiate a match of juniors older than himself, do we need a MINIMUM AGE for those wishing to do collegiate officiating?

In this year's officials schools we have already seen a large influx of teenage officials.  They have passed all the required tests and have gotten a waiver on the background check, so now is it time to unleash them on the tennis playing world?

Case in point:  We have a 16 year old young man who is heavily involved in junior tournament officiating and wants to move up to collegiate officiating.  He has already been involved in chair training and was the strongest chair official in his group.  Should there be a minimum age to do collegiate matches and do we tell him to wait until he's 18 or 21?

We have asked other collegiate officials and some feel that 18 should be the minimum age for collegiate matches and some feel they should be at least 21.  My tendency is to think that if we take an 18 year old then they need to be extremely mature and heavily experienced at the junior level and have been involved in intensive chair training.

What do you think???

Does Your Demeanor Really Matter?

We all know that a collegiate tennis team will take on the personality of their coach and children will reflect the personalities of their parents--but does an official's demeanor really matter all that much?  The resounding answer would probably be "yes."

We have all been involved in tense and competitive matches and understand how important the demeanor of officials really is...  If a referee is uptight, tense, and agitated the coaches will usually adopt that same demeanor.  If an official is condescending and uncommunicative, the player will usually respond with anger and contempt.

However we look at it, demeanor is important--but its also really hard to shape, mold, and develop.  Some state associations have even brought in psychologists to help officials develop their on-court demeanor.  Its easy to spot the demeanor of a new official (or an older one for that matter.)  Officials communicate their skill and experience levels by their personalities and the way they carry themselves on a court.  Someone once said, "Its not how high you jump but how far you run when you hit the ground that really matters." That's true in officiating too.  Its not how cool you are or how many rules you can quote that really matters.  Its how you conduct yourself on court and your personal demeanor that really counts.

Here are a few random thoughts about developing a good on-court demeanor:

*  Get enough rest.  A tired official will always be a grumpy official and one who has lots of problems.

*  Learn to relax.  After all, its just a game.

*  Breathe.  A deep breath here and there does wonders for any official.

*  Be friendly and responsive to others.  The coaches and players aren't your enemies.  They just want a fair and balanced official to do their match.

*  Quit trying to emulate Attila the Hun.  There are no prizes for the meanest official on the planet.

*  Learn the rules.  Nothing produces fear in a coach or player like an official who doesn't know the rules.

*  Learn to communicate.  When someone asks you a question don't be afraid to answer.  A non-response will get you in trouble more often than not.

*  Concentrate on your responses.  Some coaches and players think its their calling in life to torment officials. Learn not to respond in kind.

*  Enjoy your life.  You are a part of the greatest game in the world so learn to enjoy what your getting to do.

Remember--your face tells a lot.  Demeanor is a huge part of an effective official.

Answer To The Question Of A Let Call

Seems that everywhere we go people are discussing the previous post about a let call.  The incident occurred in a men's D1 doubles match this past weekend so that gives you a little background for the three answers to the question.

ALLOW A LET

The ruling  was that "as long as the ball is in play, any player may call a let."  Not sure what all kinds of trouble this invites, but it was/is the ruling in that arena.

DENY A LET

The other school of thought is "once the ball has left the player's racket they may not call a let."  This means that a player cannot simply find a rolling ball to call a let and negate a bad shot or cannot call a let when the opponent has a "sitter."  This also has a lot of ramifications that might seem to cause consternation among players and coaches.

LET THE CHAIR MAKE THE DECISION

This is a bit of a blend of the two previous options.  As one referee said to his officials, "Do your job and use the tools you have."  There seems to be much more comfort with letting the chair official decide if the let call is valid.

These options are valid primarily for chaired matches or one that has a roving official in viewing sight of a match.  With all options there seems to be fertile ground for endless disputes at the USTA level but the one principle that seems to guide us through this quagmire is: players should be good sports and play accordingly.

We will welcome your thoughts and opinions on this matter.

How Would You Rule? Do They Get A Let Or Not?

This one actually happened this past weekend at the men's collegiate national indoor tournament in Houston.

SCENARIO

In a men's DI doubles match, team A hits a return that is obviously going out.  In fact, the ball was just mini-seconds from striking the back wall when a player on Team A turns and sees a ball rolling into the back corner of his court just up against the wall.  He immediately calls a let before his ball strikes the back wall at the other end of the court. 

What would you do?

1.  Deny the let call since his return was in the air when he called a let.

2.  Grant the let because the ball was still in play.

Note:  There are two very strong and opposing sides in this issue.  The resolution will be posted later this week.

Sensationalism Sells Newspapers--And Increases Comments On A Blog

Everyone who reads a newspaper or watches the news on tv or the internet knows that sensationalism is what attracts readers and makes the profits grow.  Its also what seems to encourage people to express their feelings more openly (or anonymously as some do) on a blog comment section.  We can publish a blog about supporting tennis or encouraging officials and we get very few comments but it we post something that is controversial or sensational, the comments flow.

One of the goals of any blog is to encourage discussion and promote comments and thoughts from the readers.  Sensationalism is just another tool that is used in our society to promote interest and participation but it needs to be carefully handled.

Since we get a lot of emails and phone calls with suggestions about various blog topics it is always fun to finally decide on something that might be interesting to our blog partners.  Here are a few that have been suggested:

"A Comparison Of The Pay For NFL Referees And Pro Tennis Officials"

"An Expose Of The Sex Lives Of Women Pro Officials"

"What To Do With An Official Who Shows Up Drunk"

"Should A Fat Official Be Required To Undergo Weight Reduction Training?"

"Is It Time For A New Sectional Chairman of Officials In Texas?"

"Are Gay Officials More Sensitive Than Heterosexual Officials?"

"What Does Diverse Really Mean?"

"Why Do We Freeze Our Kids In A Zat Tournament?"

"Should There Be Stronger Penalties For Devil Children In Our Tournaments?"

"How To Tell If Your Referee Is Demon Possessed"

"How Much Money Does The USTA Really Take In Every Year?"

"What Happens To The Sanctioning Fees That All Tournaments Are Required To Pay?"

"Should Tournament Directors Be Required To Publish A Profit/Loss Statement After Each Tournament?"

"Do Tennis Officials Really Only Work For Money?"

"Why Don't I Get More Assignments?"

"Should There Be A Weight Limit For Officials?"

"What Do You Do If An Official Can't Fit Their Posterior In The Chair?"

"How To Deal With An Official That Has Bad Breath"

"What Do You Do If Your Fellow Official Smells Bad?"

"Why Do Pro Officials Have To Be So Arrogant?"

"What Do You Do When A Collegiate Coach Questions Your Birthright And Ancestry?"

"Why Is Gender Equality Fine For Men's Events But Not For Women's?"

"Should Sexual Preference Be A Determining Factor In Hiring Officials?"

"Should There Be A Required Retirement Age For Officials?"

"Should Myron Krueger Be Required To Annually Attend Defensive Driving?"

"We Demand Monthly Updates On Carol Bruehler's Hip Surgery"

"Should A Tournament Director Also Be A Referee?"

"Should Melvin Gabel Have A Maximum Beer Consumption Limit Placed On His Meals?"

"Should Waco Officials Be Required To Undergo Sleep Regulation Courses?"

"Should The President Of Any Large City's Officials Association Be Required To Be A Woman?"

These are just a few of the suggestions.  I'm sure there are more...

Its Time To Get Serious About Recruiting New Officials

Everyone is familiar with this age picture about recruiting--maybe its time we developed some of that same fervor and excitement when it comes to enlisting new tennis officials.  Its no secret that our numbers are declining and we are losing more and more certified officials every year so its time to step up and take some positive steps to change the tide...

We don't have a flag to wave but it might be good to develop a national "Officials Banner" or "Officials Flag" that represents our organizations and inspires others to join our ranks.

We could always show them action shots to inspire them to come and join us...

There is always the lure of money and now that officials are being paid better, it could be a selling point.

Then there's always the thought of using beefcake in our brochures...

Or selecting the prettiest in our sport to do the talking and enlisting...

                                        But then there are some pictures we should never show.

We as officials need to collectively pool our thoughts, resources, and energies to recruit and train new officials so our sport will continue to grow and prosper.  Here are just a few thoughts about how to achieve this purpose:

*  Always be recruiting.  All of us meet new people all the time--why not take a moment and share about what you do and then simply ask if they would like to become an official.  You would be surprised at how many take you up on your offer.

*  Be ready to share an answer.  When someone says they would like to become an official or even might be interested, be ready to share your resources with them.  One of the best ways is to have business cards printed up with your name and contact information and something about your being a tennis official.

*  Use the resources that are ours.  There is a great link to becoming a tennis official on the USTA Texas Section website (http://www.texas.usta.com/Officials/becoming_an_official/?intloc=headernavsub).  The USTA website has a good one but not nearly as complete and as information as the Texas Section.  It might even be good to put this link on your business cards.

*  Talk to people at tournaments.  Your most fertile field will be a bunch of tennis players and spectators at a tennis tournament.  Be friendly and you'll be surprised at how many people will ask you questions about being an official.  Be ready to give an informed and quality response!

*  Start a tennis officials blog.  While this is not for everyone for sure, its a great tool for stimulating interest and can provide tons of informative links to people who might be interested in officiating.  Remember that you have to have really thick skin to have a blog...

*  If you don't know the answer then connect them with someone who does.  All of us know someone who knows the answers, so when you don't know anything, find someone who does...

*  Develop enlistment brochures and posters to put at tournament desks.  This is a fantastic tool that we aren't utilizing nearly enough.

*  Cultivate your certified officials.  There are tons of new officials who are waiting for someone to ask them to work or to encourage them to advance in our field.  Talk to them...  You can always get a list of officials in your state with contact information so learn to work the field.

*  Stay positive in your recruiting!  If all we do is gripe and complain then noone will want to join us.  If you are positive and upbeat, they will be knocking down your door.

*  Don't be afraid to share war stories.  They don't need a 10 minute discourse on your last code violation but people are always interested in what goes on behind the scenes (and sometimes in the forefront) or tennis.

These are just a few thoughts and ideas--let's all be creative and become "ENLISTORS" for our officiating family.  It can and will make a difference...

New ITA Paddles & Saving Time

DEAN RICHARDVILLE of Tulsa, Oklahoma modeling the new "Deciding Point Paddle"

Now that the ITA season is in full swing and everyone is having a great time implementing the new format, its time to stop and evaluate what all these changes mean.

First, it is definitely saving time.  In a recent men's ITA dual match, the #1 doubles match took 16 minutes!  Over the weekend a men's ITA dual match lasted only 1 hour and 52 minutes so if the goal was to shorten the matches--we have succeeded!

One of the most interesting things to note is that the players seem to know the changes better than the coaches.  Last weekend we actually had a DI women's coach say that he didn't know there had even been any new changes implemented...  Such is life in the ITA.

One of the greatest new innovations in collegiate tennis made its debut at Oklahoma State University.  Pictured above (in the hands of the most worthy referee Dean Richardville) is the new DEUCE--DECIDING POINT PADDLE.  This great new invention is to be held in the air by the chair official whenever a match reaches the deciding point.

Such is life in the ITA...