Fiend at Court Unplugged
In one of the most shocking developments to occur at Fiend at Court to date, I find myself rounding up part three of a series on tennis dress codes. What started me down this path was a somewhat rare rule on tennis attire that appears in the local league regulations for the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) in Austin, Texas.
Shorts, skirts, and t-shirts are acceptable attire. Most private clubs require male players to wear shirts with sleeves. Men and women must wear shirts during league play.
2020 CATA League Regulations, Rule 6D.
This rule is oddly specific, and somewhat random within the context of the rules. I do not think that the originators of the CATA league regulations came up with the idea that there should be a rule about shirts when producing the initial draft. My assumption when encountering something like this is that the inclusion arose from one or more actual incidents. In the true spirit of this site, I revel in speculating about the potential events that might have been the catalyst for the amendment.
I can just imagine the captain’s of two men’s teams in a shouting match over the fact that one of the visiting team’s players was wearing an old T shirt with cut off sleeves. There is nothing worse than having a club member — in an impeccably tailored collared tennis polo — lose to some piker who looks like he came straight off a softball field. I mean what in the hell is he spending all that money on tennis lessons for anyway?
The fact that the last line of the rule indicates that both men and women must wear a shirt also gives me pause for thought. Did a female player try to play a match wearing only a sports bra, or did someone foresee the need for more inclusive language. Inquiring minds want to know.
I appreciate and respect the right of tennis clubs and facilities to enforce a dress code. Later this afternoon I will be playing a league match at a site that requires that spectators at the facility wear masks at all times. Dress codes in 2020, doncha know.
Story Time with the Fiend at Court
My baby brother was a tennis teaching professional for a few years after he graduated from college. At one point he worked for an exclusive club… let’s just say it was outside of the state of Texas. That club had a dress code that gentlemen were to wear a shirt with a collar at all times.
One afternoon, a member showed up at the club to play with the state governor and his entourage. It was clear as the governor passed through the pro-shop that he was not wearing a collared shirt. A few minutes later, he was on court playing in a — God forbid — tee shirt. This created a lot of consternation among the pro-shop staff.
I need to put a little more color into the scene. The governor’s entourage included his bodyguards. If you are imagining a couple of clean cut darkly suited secret service agents, think again. When the name of the governor in question is googled… the next word suggested by the search is “indictment.” Picture… mafia muscle men.
It should have been the moment when my brother realized that he was expendable. In actuality, that moment came much later. The head pro directed my brother to “deal with it.” It was a cowardly move. My brother was most likely to end up floating in lake Pontchartrain or getting fired from his job at the club for scandalously insulting the state governor.
After quite literally sizing up the situation, my brother grabbed a collared shirt embroidered with the club logo off the sales rack and walked out to the court. He profusely apologized to the governor citing the club policy and giving him the collared shirt as a token of appreciation from the club.
After retreating back to the pro-shop with a now suitably attired state governor, my brother was informed by the head pro that the cost of the shirt was going to be deducted from his next paycheck.
It was… the best possible outcome given the circumstances.
- 2020 CATA League Regulations: A handbook for captains and players, Capital Area Tennis Association, https://www.austintennis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CATA_League_Regulations.pdf
