An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
The existence of USTA league nationals creates a perception that some teams manipulate the NTRP system to get there. Nationals are also a powerful incentive which might induce some captains and teams to do exactly that.
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Manipulation of the USTA NTRP rating system may be rooted as a perception problem. Unfortunately, perception can manifest reality.
During my current tenure as a computer rated 5.0, I have been asked if I would be interested in joining a team as a 4.0 following a drill on no less than three distinct occasions. Some people observe my strokes in a semi-competitive environment and eyeball me at 4.0 to this very day. This illustrates the challenge in the NTRP self rating process.
When I returned to tennis after my brief 28 year hiatus from competitive play, I had no intention of competing within the NTRP framework. My initial match play was through age-group open tennis. Given my druthers, that is still by far my most preferred mode of play. I realize that I am very much in the minority with that preference.
Two weeks ago today, the USTA announced job cuts and the closure of the White Plains, NY offices. I have to confess that I initially missed the story. I am guessing that probably a lot of other people in the tennis community are also unaware that this happened. The announcement was not widely carried or reported.
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I have yet to come across an adult tennis player who has been involved with the organized USTA tennis for any length of time that doesn’t have an NTRP horror story. At the same time, a tiered rating system is essential to support participation in tennis. It’s a conundrum.
In 1971 the USTA created an educational advisory committee which quickly morphed into the Education and Research (E&R) office. The focus of E&R was expanding public participation in tennis. The ideas generated from this office included scholastic programs, a film lending library, a publications department, and clinics for tennis teachers. E&R was also the first unit to focus on player development.
Today I want to examine motivation within the context of junior tennis. This will not be news to anyone with kids in the proximity of the teenage years… these are entirely different beasts than adults. I say that with genuine affection.
I frequently talk about the adult tennis tournament culture in Texas. I have also touched on how playing tournaments with players from other regions opened my eyes to the fact that Texas tournament tennis is profoundly different from most of the other USTA sections. Today I am exploring what I believe to be one of the primary drivers for why that is the case.
Yesterday I made the assertion that there seems to be a lot more USTA league players than tournament players. While there is still a lot of territory to explore in this area, what I really want to focus on at the moment is exclusive to tournament play. Specifically, I want to examine the motivation that drives players to play tournaments.