Things We Need To Fix

One of the marks of quality leadership is that the leaders deal PROACTIVELY with issues instead of REACTING to issues. There is a fine line in leadership but one that needs to be bridged if you are to accomplish anything of value. Leaders and those in leadership must have the ability to foresee problems and issues and deal with them proactively before they arise. Unfortunately, we have some pressing issues that now need to be dealt with and we encourage our leadership to begin to act proactively on these issues. Here are a few of the pressing issues:

OFFICIALS SCHOOLS

The required officials schools are currently only offered in January and February (with the exception of one school in San Antonio in March) and these need to be expanded immediately. If our goal is to enlist as many quality and certified officials as possible then we need to offer more opportunities for certification and training. Not everyone can make it to a school in January and February--and certainly not on the one weekend it is offered in their city.

It would require no special effort to offer additional schools in various parts of the state during the summer months and/or early fall. Data cards do not have to be in until October 15th but the school is for certification in the next year anyway and has not standing on this year's certification.

If cost is the issue, then let the participants pay a small fee ($10) to cover the instructor's fee. There are instructors in every major area of Texas so there would be no travel expenses involved. There is also money in the Texas Section budget for instructors that is not always used--and it should be. Let's teach and train until we have the best qualified officials available.

Hopefully this issue will be addressed at the next Texas Section Officials Committee meeting.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS AND REFEREES

One of the most "difficult to understand" requirements in Texas is the current requirement that the tournament director and/or referee MUST attend a tournament director's workshop in Austin in September. The workshop is only taught on one Sunday and is required in order for your tournament to be sanctioned.

First of all, every referee school that is taught in Texas contains a specific section that deals with Texas Section rules and regulations. There is no need nor justification for requiring additional certification for USTA referees.

Second, if the workshop is going to be required then there should be workshops taught in every major metroplex area in Texas instead of one solitary school in Austin on a Sunday morning. It is presumptious to ask someone to travel to Austin at their own expense to attend a workshop that can and should be taught in their own hometown. Imagine the expense involved in you live in Amarillo or McAllen and have to make the trek to Austin...

Third, money should not be an issue. There is plenty of money in the Texas Section for teaching workshops in major areas.

Fourth, my suggestion would be to put the information and teaching on a CD and then send it to all tournament directors and referees. We are all quite capable of studying on our own without having to travel to the Holy City.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROVISIONAL TRAINING

One of the most pressing issues we face is having provisionals who take the test and are certified but have no actual training since they aren't required to attend a school until the next January or February.

This problem could be alleviated by adding additional schools as mentioned above or having the local associations institute their own training classes. This is already being done in DFW and Houston and its working very well. Provisionals need specific training before we pitch them out on a court--and that doesn't mean just taking an online open book test. I guarantee you that a serious provisional official will welcome the training.

These are just a few specific areas that need to be addressed by our leadership. I hope they do...