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USTA Tournament Players at Every Level

On By Teresa Merklin

One of the most worrisome part of the ongoing USTA Tournament restructuring has been the repeated theme that tournaments have to adapt to “consumer preferences.” On the surface, that isn’t a bad thing if that decision is backed up with valid data that accurately captures consumer preferences specific to tennis tournaments. It is apparent that the USTA has decided that shortening the length of matches in general will lead to increased participation. I have yet to see tennis specific research that backs up that assertion. Additionally, while shorter formats may be better for local level tournaments, that same sentiment doesn’t translate to the National Levels of Competition.

Competing at the Highest Levels of Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

I recently submitted an email with lengthy feedback and observations specific to National Level Senior Women’s Tennis to the USTA Adult Competition Committee. (ACC) The talking points contained in that message echo themes that have appeared on this site over the past two years. When playing the Westwood Senior Championships a couple of weeks ago, I was struck at how pervasive the concerns over the impacts of recent tournament changes and implementations are within the Senior Women’s Tennis community.

Vic Braden’s Laugh and Win at Doubles

On By Teresa Merklin

Tennis books were a prominent fixture on the bookshelves of my childhood home. Before this post, I would have sworn that there were many titles by Vic Braden in that collection. It is a false memory. Braden only published one book that roughly corresponds to my junior tennis days. However, his philosophies on tennis permeated the foundations of my tennis belief system.

ITF Ball Types

On By Teresa Merklin

Type 1 and Type 3 tennis balls were officially codified in 2002. Approval for the new ball types actually came at the 2001 ITF annual meeting which was held in Cancun, Mexico. From this I came to the obvious conclusion that tequila was heavily involved in the decision. Currently there are exactly two ITF approved Type 1 balls and zero Type 3 balls.

Automotive Rain Guards

On By Teresa Merklin

Every tennis player should consider installing a set of rain guards on your vehicle in anticipation of the fact that eventually it will rain. Alternatively you can wait until you are sweltering in your car during a lengthy rain delay to order them for the next tournament. Don’t be like me.

USTA Announces League Referral Program

On By Teresa Merklin

The USTA blasted out a message to its membership Friday advertising a new league player referral program. Since I have been harping on the data management of the USTA all weekend, I will observe that there are USTA members in my orbit who miss this notice because the organization does not have their current email address. The message announcing the new referral program carried a link where a person may update their email address. It is a mystery to me how a person who did not receive the email can make use of that opportunity, but at least the USTA is trying.

Data Management and the USTA

On By Teresa Merklin

Yesterday I described the “additional information” collected from a player when entering a USTA tennis tournament. Despite the fact that the USTA already has both of those pieces of data, players are forced to type it in every time. It simply shouldn’t be required. At that point in the entry process, the USTA membership status of the player has been verified as has eligibility for the events entered. Event eligibility hinges on age or NTRP level. In other words, the tournament entry system has accessed a significant amount of personal data on the player up to that point.

USTA Privacy Policy and Information Sharing

On By Teresa Merklin

When a player enters a USTA tournament, the web interface collects “additional information” including an email address and phone number. There is a checkbox which must be selected to allow that information to be shared with the tournament organizer. The fact that the player has to grant permission for their contact information to be shared in that situation is a sign that the USTA considers that information to be personal information.

Marketing Tennis Tournaments: USTA vs UTR

On By Teresa Merklin

Last September I played The Metroplex Senior Major Zone in Arlington, Texas. The host facility is less than 30 miles away from my permanent residence. The tournament is played at a tennis center where I frequently schedule practice sessions. My husband incessantly reminded me that I needed to get my entry submitted as the deadline drew near. It’s what he does. You know who never reached out with any communication about that upcoming tournament? The USTA.

Women’s Winning Doubles

On By Teresa Merklin

This week’s book selection is “Women’s Winning Doubles” by Pat Blaskower. I plucked it off my shelf as the obvious next selection in the ongoing series of the tennis doubles books I own, yet never bothered to read. As much as I want to claim that this book is a part of a well-planned narrative arc through this topic, that simply isn’t the case. This book is short. In related news, it’s been a busy week.