Attila The Hun (Or Hunette) Gets Officials A Bad Rap

An official to the rescue...

Sometimes on my days off I enjoy visiting tournament sites as a spectator and just observing fellow officials in action.  There are days when I introduce myself and then days when I just observe from a distance to see how we are doing as officials.

Lately I have observed some officials from a distance and a lot of what I've seen concerns me greatly. I'm afraid that much of the criticism we receive might be well deserved.  Let me illustrate it with the example of "Attila The Hunette" who was seen recently in a Texas USTA tournament...

Attila showed up late at her site but was attired in a crisp, freshly ironed and starched outfit, hair meticulously in place, and topped off with a new officials cap.  Upon entering the site, she immediately took charge of the tournament desk and all surrounding areas and began barking orders to players, fellow officials, spectators, and parents alike.  You might say she was an "equal opportunity offender" because in a few short minutes she either offended everyone in sight or berated them into submission.  Don't get me wrong--I've seen a lot of overly aggressive officials in my time but AH took the cake!  She was truly deserving of her moniker...

After reflecting upon my encounter with AH, I thought it might be good to offer these simple observations and hope it might help diffuse some problems in the future:

*  Remember that players and parents are human beings and deserved to be treated with common respect and dignity.  I wouldn't want to be the parent of some of the kids I've seen but that is their lot in life and they are trying to make the best of it.

*  Keep in mind that part of your job is to ensure that players, parents, and spectators have a good experience at their tournament site.  You are the only person entrusted with that responsibility so do your best to make the day a good one.

*  As an official you should be mature enough to know your personal strengths and weaknesses so pay attention to what you are doing and how you are coming across to others.  There is no excuse for being rude or condescending to anyone for any reason.

*  Remember that the vast majority of officials are Type A personalities and keep that in mind when you get to your site.  An A personality wants to take charge and be in control but that's not always the best course of action. Sometimes (usually) things don't go as we planned so always be prepared with Plan B.

*  Perhaps a course in "How To Win Friends And Influence People" would go a long way for all officials.  People will automatically respect your authority so we need to deserve and honor their respect.

*  Take time out of your busy life to study the mechanics of leading people, dealing with disrespectful people, dealing with conflict, and graciously leading others.  We can all benefit from bettering ourselves.

*  Remember that you aren't on a mission to subjugate the entire tennis world in one day.  If you are aggressive, demanding, and overbearing then people will react to you in like manner.  If you are calm and confident of your position and authority, people will usually support you and follow your leadership.

*  Just relax and enjoy your life as a tennis official.  Its the best sport in the world so do your best to make your's and others' experiences something to remember and not something they want to forget.

Should Or Could A Woman Coach A Division I Men's Team?

This has always been a question that has been tossed around among collegiate officials for years now and might be a good blog post for discussion...

Rather than take a stand one way or another it might be good just to point out some pertinent facts for consideration and then let the discussion begin.  Let's consider the facts:

*  Women are different than men.  (Big surprise!)  A great book to illustrate the differences is called, "Men are from Mars, And Women Are From Venus."

*  There are obviously logistical difficulties to overcome such as locker rooms, rest rooms, sleeping arrangements and such; however, men who coach women's DI teams seem to deal quite well with these issues.

*  The men's collegiate game is considerably different than the women's game.  Does being a former player (pro or collegiate level) qualify a woman to coach a men's team?

*  Women's temperaments are substantially different than men (and especially young men who are at the height of their testosterone output.)  Women are far more moody than men and this might affect the overall morale and production of a team.

*  Young men are interested in good looking women.  Surprise, surprise!  What do you do when a player has a crush on his coach?  In today's politically correct society you could never advertise for a men's coach that is "not good looking and very unattractive", so what do you do with this one?

*  Women give birth to children and possess motherly instincts.  If the coach has children they will naturally want to spend more time with their kids.  Does this affect a team or do they just welcome the coach and her kids on the bus and away they go?

*  Is a woman strong enough to deal with 10 or 12 type A dominant young men?  What type of woman do you think would be able to coach a men's DI team?

*  Men tend to be more outwardly expressive (and vulgar) than women (or at least most women).  Do you think the players or the coach would have to change on this issue?

*  Will collegiate young men respond well to a female coach or would there be conflict and problems from the getgo?

Many of the above issues deal more with psychological makeups than with court strategy but then perhaps that's why there are few (if any) women coaching a men's Division I tennis team.

What do you think?

Note:  If it were to happen, I think it would be better for a woman to be the head coach of a DI men's program than for her to be an assistant to a male head coach.  Can you just imagine a woman being an assistant to some of the men coaches we all know???

Should Women Coach Men?

In an unusual and unprecedented move, Spain announced this week that they would now have a woman coaching their Davis Cup team.  Check out the article below that was posted at USA Today:

Spain’s decision to name former tennis pro Gala Leon Garcia as Davis Cup coach didn’t please Toni Nadal, who complained that a woman “doesn’t know men’s tennis because men’s tennis isn’t the same as women’s tennis.”

Leon Garcia replaced Carlos Moya, who resigned after Spain was relegated out of the Davis Cup World Group. (This means the most successful Davis Cup country of this century is in a consolation bracket for 2015). The 40-year-old Leon reached a career high of No. 27 in the WTA rankings before retiring in 2004. She’s Spain’s first female Davis Cup coach and only the fifth for any country.

Toni Nadal, the uncle and coach of Spain’s greatest tennis star Rafael Nadal, didn’t appreciate the import of such an announcement. He told Onda Cero radio:

“It is preferable that (the captain) is someone with a background in the world of men’s tennis. I have nothing against her, I don’t know what her capabilities are, and I hope she does her job well, but in theory she is a person that doesn’t know men’s tennis, because men’s tennis isn’t the same as women’s tennis.

“The truth is that the men’s game isn’t the same as the women’s game on the tactical level, not that one is better than the other.”

Nadal also said the appointment could cause problems at “the dressing room” level, echoing the same tired talking point that’s been around for years and is always debunked. (How many Davis Cup strategy sessions are taking place in a steam room?)

Anyway, the differences between the men’s and women’s game haven’t stopped men from being great women’s coaches, so why would they stop a woman from being a great men’s coach?

But Nadal’s statements are even more ridiculous than that. Forget the blatant sexism. The idea that a Davis Cup coach need be concerned with the tactical nuances of men’s tennis is preposterous! This is the Davis Cup. It’s an individual competition for team points. There’s little to no coaching involved. It doesn’t take a tennis genius to know that the two best players go in singles and the best possible doubles combination plays on the middle day. The “coaching” involves praying that Rafa and David Ferrer take part in the competition so you don’t have to rely on Pablo Andjuar, as Spain’s Davis Cup team had to do in its playoff tie.

When Spain won its last Davis Cup in 2011, the “big” decision was playing Nadal and Ferrer in singles and pairing Feliciano Lopez and Verdasco in doubles. Someone who can’t tell the service line from the baseline could have come up with that roster.

So why is Toni all bent out of shape about it? Maybe this quote reveals some more about his feelings.

“It would seem to be more normal if the captain had been someone like Juan Carlos Ferrero, or some ex-player of a certain level, which is what has happened recently.”

Did Toni Nadal want to be consulted on the decision? Did he expect Rafa to have a say? Did he want to hand-pick Ferrero as captain? Did Toni himself want to be captain?

None of that should matter. Complain about Leon Garcia’s lack of tennis bonafides if you want, but not about her gender."

Not that we would agree or disagree with the article, we do find the thought rather intriguing when it comes to ITA tennis.  Wonder how a woman do as a coach for a men's Division I team???

A Lighter View Of Life

Since we are in a bit of a slow season, it might be good to take a look at the lighter side of life.  Here are some new officials yearning and asking for wisdom at their first training meeting.

We finally found a word for that official that we all know and love.

A perfect ending for an old official.

Waiting for his Daddy to get home from the tournament.

Relaxing after a hard day at a ZAT tournament.

Headed over to harass the officials at the UT vs OU dual match.

"I told you I was going to climb up in that tree if you didn't let me do the #1 singles match!"

Patiently waiting to call lines for the first time.

Happy to see his Daddy back home!

Seems to have lost her head in the competition.

Ideal retirement home for a traveling official.

Checking out their Big 12 assignments.

A future official!

A great bar for after-tournament relaxation.

And here we have the line 1 singles match.

The decor of a happy man.

We're pooped!

Here's how a preppy young guy showed up to work his first match.

And now its time for everyone to take a much-needed nap!

Is It Time For A Clothing Update?

A Big 12 football coach recently shared that one of the biggest drawing points for today's athletes are the types of uniforms that they wear--and football certainly seems to have made that transition!  These are just a few of the more colorful uniforms around the country.

Even Oregon can't match this one.

Might get a little confusing at Kyle Field.

A picture is worth a thousand words--or dollars...

Even the refs are getting in on the changes!

Since colors are now sweeping the country (and everyone seems to like it), perhaps its time for tennis officials to explore updating our color schemes.  Here are just a few of the modern day options...

Might be a good option for winter wear but probably not too good in the Texas sun.

Definitely lends color to the officiating scene.

We'll leave this one up to your own thought processes...

Congratulations To One Of Our Own--Angel Martinez. The New Women's Coach At Texas Wesleyan

ANGEL MARTINEZ

Through the years one of my favorite officials in the Metroplex has been Angel Martinez.  He always had a smile, did a good job, and was supportive of fellow officials and now we get to congratulate him as he was named the new Women's Tennis Coach at Texas Wesleyan.

Congratulations Angel and best wishes for a winning season!  Here is today's writeup about Angel's new position:

FORT WORTH, TX:  Texas Wesleyan University Athletic Director Steve Trachier announced today the hiring of Angel Martinez as head women's tennis coach.  Martinez, who built a tremendous record at Grapevine High School, is tasked with bringing back a program at Texas Wesleyan that has been inactive since 2002.  The Lady Rams will begin play in the 2015-16 season.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have Coach Martinez join our athletic department," Trachier said.  "He is one of the most respected high school tennis coaches in the state.  He led a storied tennis program at Grapevine High School for many years, and I am positive that he is the right person to start and direct our women's tennis program."

Martinez brings 31 years of coaching experience at the high school level to Texas Wesleyan.  At Grapevine High School he built a state powerhouse and nationally respected program.  Prior to taking over at Grapevine in 1999, Martinez worked at Cedar Hill High School for 15 years.

"I am extremely excited to be here at Texas Wesleyan," Martinez said.  "It was a hard decision because we are ranked number one in the state right now, but I think that shows my commitment to this great opportunity.  I believe we can do great things here at Texas Wesleyan."

In his high school coaching career, he built a record of 622-101 with 18 District Championships.  He has coached 326 All-District selections, 28 District Players of the Year, and 102 Regional Qualifiers.  In 2002-03 he was named Wilson/TTCA 5A Coach of the Year and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Coach of the Year.  He was named USPTA Texas High School Coach of the Year in 2005, 2009, and 2013, and was named USTA Starfish National Coach of the Year in 2009.

Martinez is a graduate of UT-Arlington and holds a USPTA Elite Pro Certification.

US Open Men's Singles Final--Cilic Awesome, Watching Paint Dry, & Michael Chang's Cap

MARIN CILIC

2014 Men's Open Singles Champion

MICHAEL CHANG (Nishikori's coach)

Showing off the new "tucked ears" look.

Today marked the conclusion of the 2014 US Open--and Marin Cilic was awesome!  He won the finals by defeating Kei Yishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in one of the most lopsided finals in years.

To say that the final was anti-climactic would probably be the understatement of the year.  I found myself missing Djokovic and Federer but soon realized that there may be a new day dawning in men's tennis--but only time will tell on that one...  Somehow I doubt that these two will soon replace the "Big 4."

The highlight of the afternoon was rotating between watching some paint dry and checking out Michael Chang's ears as they were tucked in his new cap.  Not a day with much excitement to say the least.

The one good thing to come of the men's and women's finals (other than huge paydays for the winners) was the fact that the line officials were 100% correct on every questioned call.  That's awesome and they are to be congratulated.

Now that the Open is over and done with, its time to turn our thoughts and attention to more important things like training new officials and figuring out what to do with parents at USTA junior events.

Good luck to everyone in the days to come!

Martina Navratilova's Engagement

In case you missed it, here is an account of Martina's proposal and engagement announcement at the US Open this past weekend:

"Game, set, proposal!  Martina Navratilova is engaged after popping the question to her longtime girlfriend Julia Lemigova at the US Open in NYC on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Navratilova, 57, wore an all white ensemble as she got down on bended knee to ask the Russian model in a suite at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Dressed in a black pencil skirt and sleeveless top, 42-year-old Lemigova? looked utterly shocked as she raised her (now!) engagement hand to her mouth.

"I have been waiting for the right time to ask Julia to marry me," the nine-time Wimbledon champion later told the crowd on the big screen, via Daily Express. She added: "I thought this was the right place and the right time to pop the question and thankfully I got a yes."

Navratilova also tweeted about the next chapter. "Thanks everyone for your good wishes," she wrote. "I am very happy, so is Julia and our whole family."

Navratilova came out as gay in 1981 and has been dating Lemigova since 2006. Lemigova has two daughters from a previous relationship."

Good Day For The Americans At The US Open

SERENA WILLIAMS won her 3rd US Open singles title in a row as well as her 18th Grand Slam Title (tying her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18).

The BRYAN BROTHERS won their 6th US Open Doubles title as well as their 100th career title.

John McEnroe Evaluation: "Horribly, badly bungled."

Peng Shuai in distress in her singles match at the US Open.

Following the officiating fiasco in the match between Caroline Wozniaki and Peng Shuai, John McEnroe made an evaluation and said the USTA leadership "horribly, badly bungled" the situation--and perhaps anyone in their right mind or any sense of tennis rules, would have to agree.

While I realize that pro rules differ from anyone else on earth, there was no excuse for today's mess.  Here is the timeline of what happened:

Match score:  Wozniaki leading 7-6 and 4-3 with the score 30-30.

*  Peng took 50 seconds between the deuce point and the ad point without any penalty from the chair official.

*  Peng stopped play after the ad point (which she lost) and it was 42 seconds before the trainer came to the court.

*  2 minutes and 50 seconds elapsed before Peng was led from the court.

*  4 minutes elapsed before the chair official announced that Peng was being evaluated.

*  5 minutes and 40 seconds elapsed when the chair official announced that Peng would be taking a 3 minute Medical Time Out.

*  10 minutes and 37 seconds elapsed before Peng came back to the court and was ready to play.

At this point, no time violations, warnings, or point penalties had been given.

*  Following the playing of a couple of points, the score was again deuce.  Peng again stopped play and the trainer and a bunch of others came on the court to console her.

*  After 1:27 it was finally announced that Peng was retiring.

There aren't sufficient words in the English language to describe this officiating fiasco.  In this instance, we will be just quote John McEnroe again--HORRIBLY, BADLY BUNGLED.

Where Oh Where Has All The Money Gone?

Ever wonder where all the USTA money goes?  Check out the NYT article below and it might help answer your questions--or maybe raise even more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/sports/tennis/intersecting-interests-at-the-top-of-us-tennis.html?_r=2