Thursday, April 30, 2015

"The Gathering" 2015


"THE GATHERING"
June 6, 2015

Its time to send out the call for all ITA officials to come and join us at "The Gathering 2015" on June 6, 2015.

Here is all the pertinent information:

·        Start time is 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on June 6, 2015.

·        Location: 2009 Oakview Drive, Round Rock, Texas  78681.
         (Home of Tom & Vickie Wright)

·        Dress is casual and focus is on lots of food, fun, and fellowship.

·        Swimming pool and bbq.   Water volleyball for those who are more athletic and tons of food to eat for everyone!

·        Cost is $10 per person to cover cost of bbq and drinks.

·        “Bring Your Own Bottle” format if you would like alcohol.

·        Open to all ITA officials and their spouses or significant others.

·        Reservations are required.  You may register by emailing Randy McDonald (rmtennis@yahoo.com) or Vickie Wright (vickietennisnut@austin.rr.com)

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Lying And Cheating Are Basically First Cousins


12 Good Truths To Remember

When you are playing tennis there is probably nothing that bothers you more than being cheated.  In the game of life, there is probably nothing that bothers you more than being lied to.  In all reality, people soon discover that lying and cheating are basically first cousins in the sins of life...

We are all hired as officials to help combat cheating in the tennis world.  Its not an easy task, and often a thankless task, but that is our lot in life--and we all make the choice to make it our profession. That means we enjoy the benefits of tennis but we also accept the criticism and fiery denials from those who practice cheating.  All of that comes with the territory.

On the other hand, LYING is a much more grievous habit that manifests itself in so many undesirable ways.  Here are some examples of lying that we encounter in our tennis world...

*  A few years ago a collegiate player was accused of spitting on a fan after his singles match.  As I had to sort through various versions of "the truth", I met with the young man and said to him, "I am going to ask you one question and I expect you to tell me the truth.  Did you spit on this fan?"  His quick reply was "no."  I knew he was lying but since I (nor any other official) had seen the incident, it went unpunished.  The worst part was that he was meeting with his coach before I got to the court and everyone (God included) knew the coach was telling him to lie...

*  In a high school dual match the officials gave out numerous codes for behavior and cheating on one of the teams.  The infractions even involved having the police remove two of the parents of players.  In the ensuing district investigation, the offending team's coaches stood before an athletic committee and lied.  Their excuse was "that it never happened."  Lying affects not only the players but their coaches too because their players and fans knew their beloved coaches stood and lied.

*  In my many years of collegiate officiating, I have read justifications (lies) from coaches, players, and administrators alike that are completely fabricated.  Their fabrications are elegant and eloquent but are still lies just the same...

*  And what official has never been told by a coach, "You need to remember who pays you when you are making your calls."  If confronted with the truth, they would deny every saying it.  The sad part is that when a coach or an official cheats, the players know it.  Is it really worth destroying the trust of a young athlete because of your lies??

One of the hardest parts of dealing with liars is that they seem to be "winning" in the game of life and even tennis officiating.  But then, their victories will soon be short lived.

As we all try to understand people who lie, we often justify lying by saying, "that's just their nature" or "you know how they are."  Well, I decided to check out God's view of lying so I went to the "Owner's Manual" and here is what it says:

In Colossians 3:9, He says, "Do not lie to one another." And in Revelation  21:8, God puts it rather plainly...

"...and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone..."

Seems that God takes a dim view of lying and He knows the truth.  Maybe people should be a tad more careful when they spout forth an untruth--either in life or on a tennis court or in an office...  Fire and brimstone is not a good outcome.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

A Great Blog About ITA Tennis--Be Sure To Check It Out!

Everyone is excited about collegiate tennis this year--and rightfully so!  Our blog deals primarily with issues that concern tennis officials in general and not ITA tennis.

Here is a great blog (be sure to check it out):

http://collegetennistoday.blogspot.com/

Be sure to read down and check out their account of the Baylor vs OU men's match on Friday night--and check out the comments.  Puts a whole new light on things that happen in the collegiate world.

Friday, April 03, 2015

Less Pay For New Officials? Maybe Its Time For An Officials Union


Has the time finally come?

A new topic seems to have arisen in the past few weeks--and its not one that is welcomed in many circles other than those who make money off of tournaments--and that is the issue of paying new officials less than experienced officials.  While this has been a topic since the beginning of time, it seems that there are now committee meetings at the USTA level to discuss the issue.  Many of us officials have been opposed to having an OFFICIALS UNION but perhaps it is time to seriously rethink that issue...

This editor is diametrically and forever more opposed to the idea of less pay for newer officials because of numerous ramifications--but in order to be "diverse" and "sensitive", here are some thoughts to ponder in the discussion.

*  What possible criteria would be used to determine the pay scale.  Do you base it on years of experience or levels of certification.
*  Do you pay less for an official that is obviously inept in their job performance?
*  Remember that rates are set by local associations and referees and not by USTA committees.
*  Always remember that officials are "independent contractors" and thus can set their own rates.  The policy in the Metroplex is that the Metroplex Tennis Officials Association will not issue paychecks for those who pay less than our established minimums.
*  If the issue is that new officials don't do as good a job as experienced officials then do we deduct pay from those who don't do a good job?
*  Whatever happened to the truth that "if you don't like an official or are dissatisfied with their job performance--then don't hire them"?

I might be open to a discussion of this topic if the following steps are taken:

*  The tournament directors would publish accurate accounts of the finances from their tournament and then base the pay scale on these figures.  A tournament director could not pay the officials less than an established minimum but could always pay more for good service.

*  Have a minimum base pay for new officials and do not permit tournament directors to go below that rate.

*  Make a firm determination of what constitutes a "new official."  It could be based on years of service or number of tournaments worked or some other valid criteria.

*  Base the officials' pay on the amount of the entry fee for the tournament and the pay could never be less than the established minimum.

*  Base the officials' pay on the number of entries in a tournament and not to be less than the established minimum.

*  Establish a minimum pay for all officials and then add to the base pay for years of service, level of certification, and amount of training.

Here are some examples to consider:

ZAT TOURNAMENT:
   Minimum pay for officials with less than 2 years experience:  $16/hour w/8 hour minimum.
   Minimum pay for officials with more than 2 years experience:  $18/hour w/8 hour minimum.
   $1/hour added for those officials who are referee or ITA certified.
   $1/hour added for those officials who do pro lines.

CHAMPS & SUPER CHAMPS & ADULT TOURNAMENTS:
   Minimum pay for officials with less than 2 years experience:  $18/hour w/8 hour minimum.
   Minimum pay for officials with more than 2 years experience:  $20/hour w/8 hour minimum.
   $1/hour added for those officials who are referee or ITA certified.
   $1/hour added for those officials who do pro lines.

Note:  And just to excite those who hate eating, meals would be included in all fees and if not provided, then $12/meal would be added to each paycheck.

That means that officials who have over 2 years experience and are referee and ITA certified and do pro lines will be making $22/hour w/8 hour minimum.

I'm ready for a union and changes to our pay...


Wednesday, April 01, 2015

The Chair Official--The Only One Whose Opinion Really Matters...



One of the most abused creatures in the sports world is the chair official in a tennis match--sometimes rightfully so and sometimes wrongly...

Recently I was standing with two Division I coaches on a court adjoining the deciding match in their dual. We were all three looking directly down the baseline of the match that was still in progress.  Player A called the ball out on his baseline.  The coach of Player A immediately said, "great call!" and the coach of Player B begin to rant and rave and say, "Worst call in history."

Just goes to show that two very qualified people can see the same thing and come up with two completely different conclusions.  Maybe its a good thing that the only opinion that matters is that of the chair official...

(Please note that I did not tell you how I saw the ball.  I don't want to risk offending one of the coaches...)